This is an engaging and enlightening look at the history, influence, and legacy of the American University of Beirut. In 1866, American missionaries founded a small college in Beirut called the Syrian Protestant College. Later renamed the American University of Beirut, what was a humble missionary school grew to become one of the most influential educational institutions in the Middle East - its alumni include countless leaders, ambassadors, scientists, doctors, and businessmen whose lives and accomplishments played a significant role in this critical region of the world. "American Sheikhs" is not just the story of a great institution and the families who created and fostered it for nearly 150 years, but also the story of how Middle Eastern attitudes towards Western powers, and America in particular, have changed dramatically.
