"[Lewis] remains the master of the Middle East universe. He has never been more vital to understanding the Arab mind."
–Leslie H. Gelb, president, Council on Foreign Relations
"This is a book that honors the great diversity of the Middle East, that weaves a seamless web between historical traditions and today’s dilemmas. Lewis is a great historian at the peak of his power and craft and literary grace, a writer with a beguiling eye for the historical realities that underpin the modern struggles of the Middle East.
–Faruad Ajami, author of The Dream Palace of the Arabs
"At a time when the phrase ‘identity politics’ has been trivialized, Lewis shows us how to think seriously about these concepts. As with everything he has written, this book brilliantly illuminates the modern Middle East."
–Fareed Zakaria, managing editor, Foreign Affairs
"Nothing short of a tour d’horizon of Middle Eastern identities, from antiquity to the contemporary era, by the foremost living historian of the region."
—The Sunday Telegraph (London)
