The Arabs in History [Paperback]

Bernard Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 2002

Now brought completely up to date, this classic study by one of the world's premier historians of the Middle East considers the achievement of the Arab peoples and their place in world history, from pre-Islamic times to the present-day. In a concise and readable account, Lewis examines the awakening that accompanied the advent of Islam and the political, religious, and social developments that transformed the Arab kingdom into an Islamic empire. He brings the edition up-to-the-minute with an account of recent events in the Middle East and analyzes the forces, internal and external, that have shaped the modern Arab world. Lewis shows how Western inventions and institutions have shattered the old structures and the traditional way of life, affecting every Arab, and causing a still unsatisfied demand for social, political, and cultural renewal.
Incisive and intriguing, this highly regarded and timely work--previously translated into Arabic, as well as many other European, Asian, and Middle Eastern languages--is sure to advance a greater understanding of the Arab past and present.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

"... 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

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 6th edition (May 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192803107
• ISBN-13: 978-0192803108
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just what you would expect, January 28, 2006

By 

J. P. Mas - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arabs in History (Paperback)

This book covers the history of the Arabic world since pre Mohammed times to date. Of course, given the length of the book, you cannot expect a very detailed treatment nor an in depth analysis (the same author seems to offer them in other works). But as a concise and first-approach History is very useful. If you just need to get the facts, a road map and a sense of what has been the History of the Middle East, this is a very useful book. It is short, fast to read and opens up your appetite for more. It does not answer questions but it does something more important: it makes you ask lots of questions.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent intro to this part of the world, November 16, 2005

By 

Newton Ooi (Phoenix, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arabs in History (Paperback)

Bernard Lewis is probably one of the West's most recognizable and respected experts on the Middle East. Fluent in Arabic and having lived in various countries of the Middle East, he has written a plethora of books on this region for the western reader. THis is one of his more recent works, and provides a quick and digestable history of the Arab people; i.e. the people living in and around the Arabian peninsula

The book starts by examining the region before Islam. The pagan culture is examined, along with the local geography, climate, and economy. Next, the book shows how Islam came about thru Mohammed and his teachings, and how Islam came to be the predominant religion and social force in the region. The book then goes into the history of the Sunni-Shiite split, the growth of Islamic empires such as the Umayyads, Turks, etc. The book ends with the topic of Western influence in the region, and how this is affected by the Israel question and oil.

Overall, the book is fairly easy to read and serves as a good introduction to the region. It is suitable for students in college, high school, or adults, and can be picked up by anyone without prior knowledge of the region.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Non-Fiction Classic, May 16, 2009

By 

Chris Luallen (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arabs in History (Paperback)

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.