This book investigates the rapid rise and subsequent decline of Arabic language scholarship in seventeenth-century England. Professor G. J. Toomer, a distinguished historian of science and classical studies, utilizes archival records and institutional histories to document how England transitioned from a state of linguistic isolation to a position of European preeminence in Arabic studies. He argues that this academic development was inextricably linked to the shifting religious, political, and commercial interests of the era, particularly regarding trade with the Ottoman Empire.

Scholars and historians of intellectual history recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the development of Orientalism in England. Readers frequently note the meticulous archival research and the clarity with which Toomer connects academic pursuits to the broader political landscape of the seventeenth century.