The Arabs - A History by Eugene Rogan. This is not about the conflict but a history of the Arabs. This is a very readable book. Although it has been criticized

The Arabs - A History by Eugene Rogan. This is not about the conflict but a history of the Arabs. This is a very readable book. Although it has been criticized as being more sympathetic towards the Arab point of view, it does a good job of explaining the historical background as well as the events.