The author examines the key issues of Arab development - their identity, the national revival, and the social and economic pressures that destroyed the Arab kingdom and created the Islamic empire. He analyses the forces which contributed to the empire's decline, and the influence of the West.

List of Maps ; Introduction ; 1. Arabia Before Islam ; 2. Muhammad and the Rise of Islam ; 3. The Age of the Conquests ; 4. The Arab Kingdom ; 5. The Islamic Empire ; 6. 'The Revolt of Islam' ; 7. The Arabs in Europe ; 8. Islamic Civilization ; 9. The Arabs in Eclipse ; 10. The Impact of the West ; Chronological Table

`Review from previous edition clear, fascinating and valuable' The Guardian `stimulating ... The continuous regard paid to the development of trade and economy deserves partucular praise.' History `Professor Lewis has admirably achieved his object, notably bringing out broad economic trends' International Affairs `He writes concisely and clearly, ... a useful account of the challenges and crises both faced and precipitated by the Arabs in their long history.' Veronica Sen, Canberra Times `... enormously influential history ... after reading 'Gibbon on Muhammad', it is tempting to speculate that Lewis's long-standing interest in the eighteenth-century historian may have influenced his own ambition to scan grand horizons, his taste for irony and his unmistakably elegant literary style.' Robert Irwin, Middle Eastern Studies

A brief, readable account of the Arabs in history - ideal background reading for anyone interested in the current politics of the Arab world. Bernard Lewis is one of the world's leading Islamicists An excellent introduction to the subject for students and general readers alike Over 100,000 copies sold worldwide to date

Bernard Lewis is Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies, and Long-Term Member of the Institute for Advance Study, Princeton University. He has published numerous books on the Middle East, including, The Assassins, Race and Slavery in the Middle East: A Historical Enquiry, and The Middle East.

A brief, readable account of the Arabs in history - ideal background reading for anyone interested in the current politics of the Arab world. Bernard Lewis is one of the world's leading Islamicists An excellent introduction to the subject for students and general readers alike Over 100,000 copies sold worldwide to date