Starting with the Ottoman conquests in the sixteenth century, this landmark book follows the story of the Arabs through the era of European imperialism and the Superpower rivalries of the Cold War, to the present age of unipolar American power.

From Cairo to Istanbul -- The Arab challenge to Ottoman rule -- The Egyptian empire of Muhammad 'Ali -- The perils of reform -- The first wave of colonialism : North Africa -- Divide and rule : World War I and the postwar settlement -- The British empire in the Middle East -- The French empire in the Middle East -- The Palestine disaster and its consequences -- The rise of Arab nationalism -- The decline of Arab nationalism -- The age of oil -- The power of Islam -- After the Cold War.