The term Bedouin—in Arabic, badawi (sing.) and bedu (pl.)—refers to Arabic-speaking nomadic and semi-nomadic groups that inhabit the arid and semi-arid regions of North Africa and the Middle East. Historically, the Bedouin were largely confined to the Arabian Peninsula and the adjacent Syrian Desert, where they made their living herding camels, sheep, and goats. Desertification and intertribal warfare forced the Bedouin to migrate in waves; over time, they abandoned their nomadic lifestyle to settle in the villages and cities of the region. Bedouin were, and remain, organized into tribal groups based on descent through the male line. As noted in the introduction to this newly published historical dictionary by Suwaed, tribal identity and tribal loyalty continue to play significant roles in organizing political and social life today. The author provides a chronology and an extensive bibliography along with the A–Z entries, which are generally brief and include some non-Arab nomadic groups living in Turkey, Iran, and North Africa…. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels of students; general readers.