This book brings together eleven essays on Islamic political thought by Bernard Lewis, the acknowledged doyen of middle eastern studies. Few historians have garnered such a broad audience as Lewis, whose works are widely read by scholars, politicians, journalists, and the general public. This latest collection of essays is replete with the incisive historical insight for which Lewis, the world's foremost scholar of the Middle East, is known. With erudition, eloquence and wit, Lewis provides a focused treatment of fundamental Islamic political terms that is at once thoughtful and provocative. The essays provide the background that is essential to understanding Islamic civilization, and consequently, the troubled history of its relations with the West.