Arabs in World History. From Pre-Islamic Times to the Collapse of the Colonial System

In Bernard Lewis's classic study, one of the world's leading historians and orientalists, the concept of "Arab" and the place of the Arab people in world history from pre-Islamic times to the victory of the independence and sovereignty movement in the mid-20th century are examined. The author traces the emergence of Islam and the accompanying political, religious, and social events that transformed disparate Arab tribes into an Islamic empire, and analyzes the internal and external factors that shaped the modern Arab world. Lewis shows how Western innovations and institutions destroyed old structures and traditional Arab ways of life, while failing to satisfy their need for social, political, and cultural renewal.