A Short History of the World Chapter 44 - The Great Days of the Arabs

In which the swift and sweeping conquests of the Arabs from the deserts of Arabia to the far reaches of Spain and China are recounted, revealing not only the fragility of their vast empire but more enduringly their remarkable impact on the intellectual and scientific development of the known world. The narrative unfolds the rich cultural exchanges and revival of learning fostered by Arab scholars, whose alchemical pursuits and adoption of foreign knowledge sowed the seeds of modern experimental science and mathematical thought.