From the Arab Spring to the Gaza crisis, the Middle East is going through one of the most turbulent periods in its recent history. The devastating consequences of the war in Gaza have once again shaken a region that never managed to stabilize after the Arab Spring. What in 2011 seemed to herald a new beginning led to civil wars, coups d'état, and even more iron-fisted autocracies, fueled by rivalry between regional and global powers. The gradual withdrawal of the United States — for decades the dominant external actor — left behind a vacuum that is now being contested by Russia, China, the European Union, and various local powers. In this essential analysis, Christopher Phillips unravels the geopolitical dynamics of the contemporary Middle East through ten flashpoints, from Syria and Yemen to Palestine, Iraq, and the Gulf. Taking a pluralistic view, the author shows how internal tensions are intertwined with the ambitions of external actors and argues that US overextension after the Cold War, followed by its withdrawal in the 2010s, has contributed decisively to the destabilization of the region. The result is a landscape marred by wars of unprecedented violence, the proliferation of non-state actors, and open competition for power in an increasingly "post-American" Middle East. An essential book for understanding what forces are shaping the region's future... and why that future remains so uncertain. "Phillips writes with precision and a critical eye, covering an enormous amount of ground." James Barr, Financial Times "Battleground is a lucid, solidly argued, and accessible study of a region once again in crisis." Justin Marozzi, Sunday Times "Christopher Phillips offers a lucid and highly entertaining account of a region that, tragically, continues to destroy itself... with a little help from its friends." Justin Marozzi, The Spectator