The definitive history of the Middle East, now updated in its fifth editionOver the centuries the Middle East has confounded the dreams of conquerors and peacemakers alike. In this profound book Peter Mansfield, acclaimed author of The Arabs, follows the historic struggles of the region over the last two hundred years, from Napoleon's assault on Egypt, through the slow decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire, to the painful emergence of modern nations, the Palestinian question and the growth of Islamic fundamentalism. The discovery of huge oil reserves has given the region global economic importance as well as unique strategic value, and the result has been massive superpower involvement. Finally he considers the future of the Middle East and concludes that it will remain 'one of the nerve centres of the world'.