From Cairo to Istanbul (1516-1750) -- The Arab challenge to Ottoman rule (1750-1840) -- The growing shadow of European imperial power -- The perils of reform -- The first wave of colonialism : North Africa (1830-1914) -- Divide and rule, 1914-1922 -- The British empire in the Middle East (1918-1942) -- The French empire in the Middle East (1918-1954) -- The Palestine disaster and its consequences (1945-1952) -- The rise of Arab nationalism (1952-1970) -- The decline of Arab nationalism -- The age of oil (1973-1984) -- The power of Islam (1979-1991) -- After the Cold War
