This history of the Arab world deals with the twentieth-century, from the beginning of the First World War to the outbreak of the 'Third Arab Revolt' in 2011. The account centres on the development of all 22 member states of the Arab League. The individual discussions are set in the political, economic, cultural and religious contexts in the Arab world as a whole and also in the context of international politics since the end of the Second World War. A separate chapter is devoted to Germany's role in the Middle East.

A forward look at the twenty-first century - the century of 'the Arabs' - outlines developmental trends in a region that is currently in a state of dynamic upheaval.