Books on the Middle East

Travelling is not the same as going on holiday, says Ziauddin Sardar, the writer, broadcaster and cultural critic He recommends five books about travellers in the Muslim world—from 14th-century Morocco to 20th-century Damascus by way of Indonesia.

The lawyer who prosecuted Ariel Sharon discusses the brilliance of maverick political thinkers and says: "It takes at least a generation to establish democracy." Highlights work of philosopher Gilles Deleuze above all

The deputy-editor of Economist.com selects five books that have given him a deeper understanding of the situation in Israel and Palestine - books that have helped him open him up to "other people's point of view"