The heritage of the past. The Ottoman solution (1453-1918). -Opposing views. The idea of an Arab nation. -Next year in Jerusalem. The origins of Zionism. -Nasser's Middle East. The Suez expedition. -The Palestinians caught between Israel and the Arabs. The birth of the PLO. -From Camp David to the Gulf War. The challenge of Islam. -Lebanon at the center of the turmoil. -Chronology.