In this classic work Bernard Lewis examines the key issues of Arab development - their identity, the national revival which cemented the creation of the Islamic state, and the social and economic pressures that destroyed the Arab kingdom and created the Islamic empire. He analyses the forces which contributed to that empire's eventual decline and the effects of growing Western influence. Today, with the Arab world facing profound social and political challenges, it constitutes anessential introduction to the Arabs and their history. (Oxford)