{"product_id":"spies-and-holy-wars-reeva-spector-simon-9780292737570","title":"Spies and Holy Wars: The Middle East in 20th-Century Crime Fiction","description":"\u003cp\u003e Illuminating a powerful intersection between popular culture and global politics, \u003ci\u003eSpies and Holy Wars\u003c\/i\u003e draws on a sampling of more than eight hundred British and American thrillers that are propelled by the theme of \u003ci\u003ejihad\u003c\/i\u003e--an Islamic holy war or crusade against the West. Published over the past century, the books in this expansive study encompass spy novels and crime fiction, illustrating new connections between these genres and Western imperialism. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Demonstrating the social implications of the popularity of such books, Reeva Spector Simon covers how the Middle Eastern villain evolved from being the malleable victim before World War II to the international, techno-savvy figure in today's crime novels. She explores the impact of James Bond, pulp fiction, and comic books and also analyzes the ways in which world events shaped the genre, particularly in recent years. Worldwide terrorism and economic domination prevail as the most common sources of narrative tension in these works, while military \"tech novels\" restored the prestige of the American hero in the wake of post-Vietnam skepticism. Moving beyond stereotypes, Simon examines the relationships between publishing trends, political trends, and popular culture at large--giving voice to the previously unexamined truths that emerge from these provocative page-turners. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Reeva Spector Simon\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0292737572\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780292737570\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Texas Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/01\/2010\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.74lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.52d","brand":"Reeva Spector Simon","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48112858235135,"sku":"9780292737570","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_2a6d9989-68f6-4fb3-b95b-ae3f8dba358a.jpg?v=1769611415","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/spies-and-holy-wars-reeva-spector-simon-9780292737570","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}