Vernon O. Egger is Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern and Islamic History at Georgia Southern University. His other books include The Muslim World Since 1260 and A Fabian in Egypt: Salamah Musa and the Rise of the Professional Classes in Egypt, 1909–1939.
Egger's history of the Islamic world from its civilizational foundation in the 7th century to the gradual ending of its political predominence in the mid-18th century provides an excellent overview for students embarking on the study of world history, the Middle East, or Islamic history. Resisting a still common Arabocentric and early Islamic bias in the field, Egger provides a balanced account of the civilization's development through a series of tightly constructed historical and thematic chapters. Nabil Al-Tikriti, University of Mary Washington, USA