Bernard Lewis was a renowned historian specializing in the Middle East, whose influential works explored the region's complex history and contemporary challenges. He approached the subject with a deep understanding of its cultural and political dynamics, offering insightful analyses that resonated widely. Lewis's writings are characterized by their scholarly rigor and their ability to illuminate intricate historical narratives for a broad readership. His contributions significantly shaped the understanding of Middle Eastern affairs globally.
The astonishing story of Henry Coombe-Tennant (1913-89), who served in the British Army in World War II, escaping from a POW camp, joining Special Forces and aiding the French Resistance, before working for the British Secret Service in Baghdad and ending his days as a Benedictine monk!
This second volume examines the religion and structure of Islamic society. Bernard Lewis draws on a broad range of Islamic literature, including books on religious sects, politics and economics, philosophy and science, travel, biography and literary works, and even bureaucratic records from such disparate sources as the postal service and the judiciary. Comprehensive and cogently translated, these documents bring into sharp focus aspects of a world long neglected by Western historians.
The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East
With the departure of imperial powers--and on its own for the first time in almost two centuries--the Middle East must now resolve its political, economic, cultural, and societal problems in order to advance its civilization. In this volume, historian Bernard Lewis discusses the future of the region in this new era: will its nations face cooperation and progress or a vicious cycle of poverty and ignorance? The author examines the most critical issues in detail. Oil may be the Middle East's most important export, but technology will eventually make it obsolete, he warns, leaving those who depend on oil revenues with a bleak future. Water will become a contentious issue between nations. The role of Turkey, Israel, and women in the region are the most potentially transformative factors. If freedom fails and terror triumphs, says Lewis, the peoples of Islam will be the first and greatest victims.
The book provides a comprehensive account of Swansea's experiences during World War II, highlighting its strategic significance as a target for Nazi attacks. It details the town's preparations for war, including air-raid shelters and anti-aircraft defenses, and examines the effects of conscription, food rationing, and the plight of Jewish refugees and evacuated children. The narrative explores the impact of air raids, particularly the devastating February 1941 attacks, and the community's responses to emergencies, drawing on extensive archival research and personal stories.
From the time of Moses up to the 1960s, slavery was a fact of life in the Middle East. This study explores how Islam's image of racial harmony is set at odds with the area's late renouncement of slavery.
Edward Williams and Anna Griffiths, children of two close family friends, who had known each other virtually from birth and who had pledged each to the other as children, as young adults are called upon to honour that pledge.
The Great War left an indelible mark on almost every town and village in Britain and this extensively researched book looks in detail at how that war affected the town of Swansea and its people. Themes covered in the book include recruitment and the treatment of conscientious objectors, how Belgian refugees were cared for, and what happened to foreign nationals who were living in Swansea at the outbreak of war. How the war affected the trade of the town, especially the docks, is examined, as well as the fate of numerous Swansea ships that became targets for the German U-Boat campaign. The organisation of medical aid for wounded servicemen and the effect of food shortages, and its subsequent rationing in Swansea, are covered. The new roles performed by women and the efforts made in the town to provide support for those left at home, or serving at the front, are also examined. Away from the Home Front, the actions of both of the Swansea Victoria Cross winners are recounted, as are the stories of some of those who served on land, on sea, or in the air. These include a Swansea airman who was downed by the famous Red Baron, another who flew again after losing a leg in combat, a Swansea sailor who was lost in an encounter with a German U-Boat, the Swansea officer who twice escaped from a POW camp, and several former Swansea men who returned with Canadian, Australian or South African units to fight the common foe, with often tragic results. There are also stories of a Swansea nurse captured by the Austrians in Serbia, and a Swansea doctor at Gallipoli. Swansea in the Great War is a welcome and long overdue look at how the Great War affected the town and its people. How did the experience of war affect Swansea and the surrounding area? - From the initial enthusiasm, to the gradual realization of the enormity of human sacrifice the families of Swansea were committed to as the war stretched out over the next four years. A record of the growing disillusion of the people, their tragedies and hardships and a determination to see it through. The Great War affected everyone. At home there were wounded soldiers in military hospitals, refugees from Belgium and later on German prisoners of war. There were food and fuel shortages and disruption to schooling. The role of women changed dramatically and they undertook a variety of work undreamed of in peacetime. Extracts from contemporary letters reveal their heroism and give insights into what it was like under battle conditions, including the disastrous first day at the Somme for the Swansea Pals