A History of the Modern Middle East - Paperbackby William L. Cleveland (Author), Martin Bunton (Author) A History of the Modern Middle East examines the profound and often dramatic transformations of the region in the past two centuries, from the Ottoman and Egyptian reforms, through the challenge of Western imperialism, to the impact of US foreign policies. Author Biography William L. Cleveland died in 2006, shortly following his retirement as an award winning professor of history at Simon Fraser