This book offers a documented and compelling analytical tour of the major developments and events in the Arab region since August 2, 1990, in which the United States played a key role by leading the military coalition against Iraq, resulting in its direct military and political involvement in the region's affairs.

Some of its notable chapter titles include: Eyes on the Ground, Spies in the Sky – From Babylon to Moshe Dayan – New Jersey – The United States Turns a Blind Eye in Lebanon – Hostages of Misfortune (Casey, Kelly, and the appearance of 'Gorba' on the scene) – The End of Iran Air Flight 655 – The Beginning of Pan Am Flight 103 – Desert Storm – The Future.

The book begins with the last days of the Shah's rule in Iran (featuring a previously unpublished interview by the author with the Shah) and the rise of Khomeini's revolution, detailing America's early clashes with Islamic Iran. This led to complicated US-Iranian relations, the occupation of the US Embassy in Tehran, the taking of Western hostages in Lebanon, and the infamous Iran-Contra affair.

The book also examines the United States' relationship with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf and Arabian Peninsula countries, and the role of Arab oil in this relationship, which recently evolved into a nearly fateful military alliance. It covers the devastating civil war in Lebanon from the mid-seventies, its human, political, and military costs, and the tangled sectarian conflict that gave rise to the hostage crisis.

The author then shifts to the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and the direct and indirect role America played in the region during that time. He unveils secrets of this role, from military support to both Iraq and Iran to direct involvement, such as the downing of the Iranian passenger plane (Flight 655) over the Gulf by American missiles on July 3, 1988, followed by the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988.

Esteemed journalist John Cooley relies on credible scholarly sources, classified documents, and dozens of private interviews with figures who experienced or shaped these events. "The Harvest" is a unique book providing a vivid, objective account of the complex interactions that shaped the political landscape of the Middle East in the 1980s, which in turn defined the region's trajectory for the 1990s and the dawn of the 21st century. It is a work that combines sobriety and scientific accuracy with engaging journalistic presentation and valuable, documented information.

• Publishing House: Al-Matbouat Distribution & Publishing Company
• Author: John K. Cooley
• Number of Pages: 448
• Year of Publication: 1991
• ISBN: 9789953881249
• Cover Type: Paperback