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Who are the Arabs and what has been their place in the course of human history? This is the central question which Bernard Lewis addressed in his illuminating study of the Arabs' identity, achievements, and relations with the non-Arab world. He traces Arab history from pre-Islamic times to the present day, focusing on the waves of conquest in the early Islamic period, the creation of the vast Islamic empire, the subsequent spread of Arab culture and trade, and the later decline of Arab power in the face of growing Western dominance. Today, with the Arab world facing profound social and political challenges, the reverberations of which have been felt far beyond the Middle East, Bernard Lewis' classic book constitutes essential reading.
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