This class was very interesting and relevant with the current political climate. Tons of reading, but all very informative, and you don't really have to go to lecture. Having a good TA is very helpful, the guy from Baltimore was awesome! Small papers throughout the course were easy, but the final took all three hours. Slightly miserable.

The class was all about Afghanistan-quite possibly the best class I've taken at UCSB. Prof. Humphreys assigns great reading, which is why the class is so interesting and engaging. He's leaving on sabbatical apparently, but if you can catch him while you're enrolled, I definitely recommend it!

The lectures can be very boring, and monotone, but every once in a while, he says something hilarious. He puts his slides online, but it's not much help. A lot of reading assigned. Getting a good TA is key

Took this class for a GE with a moderate interest. So much reading that I feel like a book exploded in my brain, killing many brain cells in the incident. I don't feel like a learned very much. Lectures hard to follow. Final 3 essays for 3 hours. No midterm, and 3 three page essays. Don't take unless you're a history major!!!!

The lectures are pretty dry but interesting if you really get into it. If you do all the readings, you can learn a lot about the Middle East. Three 3 page papers, we read five books, and a course reader. A lot of reading. He wrote one of the books for the class, so he is a complete expert.

Prof. Humphreys is the best teacher in the entire history department. He is a tough grader, but very fair. If you talk to him in office hours and follow his advice, you can and will get a good grade. Class is all paper writing. 145B is the same but with a final which you design yourself. Great class if you are interested in Middle East

The most intelligent professor on this campus. His lectures are monotone but they are full of so much information. He is very old school and doesn't use power points so you have to actually listen to what he says but if you do you will find his material is very good. He is a hard grader but he is fair and will give you good feedback. Great Professo

He has my complete respect and admiration. I learned so much from his lectures and just going to office hours. He is very intelligent, definitely knows what he's talking about and is very enthusiastic about his subject.

I enjoyed the 2 classes I had with him. Gives really really long answers that just complicates things, but other than that he knows his Middle East COLD. Names, dates, events, relations, treaties, culture, you name it he could give a inpromptu lecture on it. Very good resource if you are a driven student that does own research.

TERRIBLE CLASS. I am a History major, I love the subject matter, and he made it impossible for me to follow. Completely monotonous, terrible organization, no aids. He stands up and rambles incoherently for an hour. Too much reading and it's pointless. I learned nothing.

Worst. Class. Ever. He talks with a monotone voice and doesn't use power point. He kinda just rambles on for an hour, without emphasizing any points.

This class is extremely boring. He is a complete monotone, extremely hard to pay attention in lecture. you should have somewhat of an interest in Middle Eastern History. If you dont keep up with the readings it gets complicated, because everyone has such difficult names to understand. do not take for a GE, its too boring.

Extremely boring lectures and you only learn from readings (lots of assigned reading is the only way to learn something). No midterm but 2 five-page papers.. The professor is really smart though

He knows what he's talking about. The paper topics really make you work and the TA's grade pretty hard but you really understand the whole concept of the issues in Islam and the other things going on. He's a real nice guy and i recommend this class to anyone who's willing to sit through some boring lectures but still learn so much.

I took this class to fulfil GEs w/ no initial interest. The class turn out to be really intriguing and I learned a lot about Islam and the Middle East. The readings are very intersting and the teacher is knowledgeable (although a little boring). The only class where I didn't mind to read for. Class consists of two essays, discussion, a final.

Best Prof I have had. Clear, knows his stuff, enthusiastic, funny, engaging and never boring. He teaches because he wants to, not b/c he has to. He taught an awesome Philosophy of Spacetime class.