Bernard Lewis uses the year 1492, a year laden with epic events and riven by political debate, to explore the clash between the Jews, Christendom, and Islam, as well as that between the New World and the Old.

"A fascinating and necessary text. A must-read for anyone interested in Europe at one of its most striking moments. The text balances out our understanding of Islam and its impact on Europe."--James Lusueur, University of La Verne "The author avoids simplistic, good guy-bad guy interpretations; there are plenty of sins to go around."--The Dallas Morning News "A sharply etched picture....Neither blindly celebratory nor unthinkingly self-flagellating, it offers a vivid interpretation of all three of the major events of 1492....Civilized, humane, [and] erudite over an enormous range."--Times Literary Supplement "An elegant book."--Kirkus Reviews "Lewis writes with unsurpassed erudition and grace."--The Washington Times "Lewis's Western orientation and definitive knowledge of Eastern life and religion lead him to some unusual deductions that are well thought out and presented. This short course in the Age of Discovery should prove a useful tool."--Susan H. Woodcock, School Library Journal

Selling point: With elegance and erudition, Lewis explores the climactic year 1492 as a clash of civilizations--a clash not only of the New World and the Old, but also of Christendom and Islam, of Europe and the res Selling point: Lewis uses three epochal events to explore the nature of the European-Islamic conflict

Bernard Lewis is Cleveland E. Dodge Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Emeritus, at Princeton University. His many books include The Shaping of the Modern Middle East, Islam and the West, Race and Slavery in the Middle East, and The Muslim Discovery of Europe.

Selling point: With elegance and erudition, Lewis explores the climactic year 1492 as a clash of civilizations--a clash not only of the New World and the Old, but also of Christendom and Islam, of Europe and the res Selling point: Lewis uses three epochal events to explore the nature of the European-Islamic conflict