Bernard Lewis

Historian

Bernard Lewis (1916-2018) was a historian specializing in the Middle East and Islam. Most recently, he was the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor of Near Eastern Studies Emeritus at Princeton University. An eminent authority on Middle Eastern history, he was the author of over two dozen books. The most recent books of this world renowned scholar include From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting the Middle East, The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror, and What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East. The latter two were national best sellers.

Featured Work

MAY 12, 2010 Podcast

Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East

Bernard Lewis is one of the world's foremost Western scholars on Islam. In this eloquent talk he shares some of his knowledge, and explains how ...

Detail from book cover.

MAR 26, 2002 Transcript

What Went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response

In this learned talk given just six months after 9/11, Lewis explains that in the Middle East there are two prevailing opinions about why the Islamic ...