A History of the Arab Peoples: With a New Afterword Paperback – Illustrated, November 15, 2010

This is not light reading, it is an academic, extensive history of the Arab peoples covering pre-Islamic times through the 20th century. If you are looking to acquire knowledge of the The Arab culture and the rise of Islam in detail, this is an excellent book to start with. It is a classic textbook on the subject.

This is a great asset to my personal library. It is informative, well documented, and scholarly, while at the same time fascinating reading. It has been an enormous help to me as I am studying the cultural-geopolitical history of the Mideast. It is next to impossible to understand the ongoing problems of the Mideast without understanding the history of the Arabs, Iranians and Jewish settlers of that region. This fine book covers the Arab history splendidly.

Albert Hourani's meticulously woven and mellifluously written narrative about the Arab peoples, their history and culture, is a must read for anyone who pretends to be speaking about contemporary issues plaguing the Middle East. A classic like this can only be written by an indigenous Arab who understands the complexity of the issues and has a very clear perception of what underlies modern day ailments. Written with grace, sensitivity and incisive scholarity,this book should be on the bookshelves of every university in the world.

Distinguished Lebanese-American historian Albert Hourani presents this book that might seem comprehensive to the Westerners but concise to the Arabs. Hourani tries to cover most of the history of the Arab peoples, but this is certainly no easy task. He ends up quickly surveying this history.Despite its brevity, Hourani's volume is a reference work par excellence. Hourani is well read and his book is well researched. His style is inviting even if the massive number of dates and names might discourage some people who are not familiar with the Arab region.The book is essential for all Westerners interested in the Arabs and their region. It is history 101 for all those who are willing to embark on such an endeavor. The book is also helpful to Arabs who are not familiar with their history. Overall, the book is a good read even if it might seem academic and a bit boring as you read it.Of course readers have to keep in mind that writing history is an objective exercise that is never free of the writer's bias. In some instance, Hourani seems to give credit to one group at the favor of another. However, this is history. It is the most probable version from the perspective of its writer.

Very interesting book but long, I had been checking it out of the local library and renewing... than looked on Amazon. Fast delivery and great value / excellent condition and now I can take my time reading it.

How close to 500 pages and 1500 years that's one page for every three years chock-full of info

Excellent quality and expeditious customer service. Thank you!!

After reading it I do not feel I know more about the history of the Arab people. Not a history of facts but more an history of a culture