Bernard Lewis is one of the world's foremost scholars on Islamic history and the Middle East. He has written a multitude of books, some dealing with more specific aspects of the Muslim world and it's relations with the West. But here history is written in broad strokes, as Lewis covers Arabic history from pre-Islamic Arabia to the present day. If you are not familiar with the subject matter then this book will be an outstanding primer. But even those already knowledgable will appreciate Lewis' articulate and insightful analysis. Commerce, warfare, religion and the arts are all discussed, with particular attention paid to the grand achievements of the Ummayyad and Abbasid Calipahtes during Islam's "Golden Era".



The reviewer from Scotland that claims Lewis is a neo-con with a bias against his subject clearly has not read the book and has no idea what he is talking about. Lewis is a serious scholar who comes across as highly objective, discussing both the glories and failures in Arab history. He also is one of the few academics able to write in a pleasurable and easy to read style while still maintaining his scholarly credibility This book is a classic of non-fiction and I recommend it to everyone with an interest in history.