Bernard Lewis Books
Bernard Lewis (1916–2018) was a British-American historian and one of the world’s foremost scholars on Middle Eastern and Islamic history. He taught at the University of London and Princeton University, and authored numerous books that profoundly influenced Western understanding of the Islamic world.
Known for: The Shaping of the Modern Middle East
Books by Bernard Lewis
The Shaping of the Modern Middle East
In this influential work, Bernard Lewis traces the political, social, and cultural transformations that have shaped the modern Middle East. Drawing on decades of scholarship, he examines the region’s encounter with the West, the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the rise of nationalism, and the continuing struggles over identity, religion, and modernization.
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The Ottoman Empire
To grasp the modern Middle East, we must begin with its center of gravity in the early modern period—the Ottoman Empire. At its height, the empire was not only the political master of the Arab lands, Anatolia, the Balkans, and parts of North Africa; it was also the bearer of a universal Islamic orde...
From The Shaping of the Modern Middle East
Decline of the Ottoman Empire
The decline of the Ottoman Empire was not sudden; it was a slow unraveling. The empire faced the twin pressures of internal inefficiency and external aggression. Economically, it lagged behind the industrializing West. Militarily, it fell behind in weaponry and organization. Intellectually, its scho...
From The Shaping of the Modern Middle East
About Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis (1916–2018) was a British-American historian and one of the world’s foremost scholars on Middle Eastern and Islamic history. He taught at the University of London and Princeton University, and authored numerous books that profoundly influenced Western understanding of the Islamic world...
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Bernard Lewis (1916–2018) was a British-American historian and one of the world’s foremost scholars on Middle Eastern and Islamic history. He taught at the University of London and Princeton University, and authored numerous books that profoundly influenced Western understanding of the Islamic world...
Bernard Lewis (1916–2018) was a British-American historian and one of the world’s foremost scholars on Middle Eastern and Islamic history. He taught at the University of London and Princeton University, and authored numerous books that profoundly influenced Western understanding of the Islamic world.
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Bernard Lewis (1916–2018) was a British-American historian and one of the world’s foremost scholars on Middle Eastern and Islamic history. He taught at the University of London and Princeton University, and authored numerous books that profoundly influenced Western understanding of the Islamic world.
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