First published in 1991, but re-published with an updated final chapter, this book is the product of a lifetime's research and teaching. It begins with the new religion of Islam spreading out of the Arabian Peninsula, and explores in detail the political, cultural and religious history of the Arab peoples and Islam. If you, like me, were a little sketchy on the origins of Islam, or the splits between Sunni and Shia, for example, and other religious differences, then this book will more than fill in the gaps. A little heavy going in places, and more of a teacher's book than a pupil's book - even bright Sixth Formers - nevertheless this helps put in perspective the troubled times we live in.