Introduction The Middle East before Muhammad The first Muslim revolution The early Arab conquests The high caliphate Shiites and Turks, crusaders and Mongols Islamic civilization Firearms, slaves, and empires European interests and imperialism Westernizing reform in the nineteenth century The rise of nationalism The roots of Arab bitterness Modernizing rulers in the independent states Egypt and the fertile crescent under European control The contest for Palestine Israel's rebirth and the rise of Arab nationalism War and the quest for peace The reassertion of Islamic power The Gulf War and the peace process The War on Terrorism In the season of Arab discontent Changing Middle Eastern environments
