This textbook assembles key writings on the modern history of the Middle East by some of the most distinguished specialists in the field. The book aims to meet the needs of a wide range of students. After a general introduction by Albert Hourani, the essays are arranged in four sections: reforming elites and changing relations with Europe 1789-1918; transformation in society and economy 1789-1918; imperialism and nationalism in the interwar period; and the Middle East since World War II. This revised edition contains a range of additional material on the history of the region since the 1990s.