Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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 -- Arab nationalism -- 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.