Publisher's Synopsis
Introducing the history of the Middle East from the beginnings of Islam to the present, this fifth edition includes coverage of the aftermath of the Gulf War and issues surrounding the "Palestine question". Written for undergraduates, and assuming no prior knowledge of Middle Eastern history, this text focuses on the evolution of Islamic institutions and culture, the influence of the West, the modernization efforts of Middle Eastern governments, the struggle of various peoples for political independence, the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the reassertion of Islamic values and power.
