See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. When hourani titled his book, history of the arab peoples, he was being honest and literal the book is literally a history of the peoples, including the development of their interpretations of islam, the formation of various schools of thought on the islamic law and how literally it was to be interpreted, the conflict between secularism and fundamentalism and nationalism in the postimperial period. The influential blogger and journalist tells us why theres so much misinformation about the arab world, and suggests what we should read to improve our understanding of the regions history and current turmoil. The arab spring was a series of prodemocracy uprisings that enveloped several largely muslim countries, including tunisia, morocco, syria, libya, egypt and shows this day in history. Albert hourani encyclopedic and panoramic in its scope, this fascinating work chronicles the rich, spiritual, political, and cultural institutions of arab history through centuries. In this definitive masterwork, distinguished oxford historian albert hourani offers. Though, actually, hourani begins with a person too. Thus, all the verses of the quran that describe the creation of the universe and people, judgment day, exemplary stories of the people who lived before and the beliefs, worship, morals and legal bases that believers should obey were collected together into a singlevolume book.
A short history of the arab peoples by john glubb kirkus. It simply begins with ottoman occupation, and continually paints the arabic people as victims of imperialism and brutal oppression by western powers. Albert houranis a history of the arab peoples is an ambitious and successful attempt to summarize fourteen centuries of political, cultural, and religious history of people who inhabited an. In a panoramic view encompassing twelve centuries of arab history and culture, hourani brilliantly illuminated the people and events that have fundamentally shaped the arab world.
The present book, a distillate of a fourvolume history, chronicles the rise of moorish civilization in the 7th century, the age of the crusades, the decline of arab power before the. A history of the arab peoples is a book written by the britishborn lebanese historian albert hourani. The history of the arab peoples begins with the coalescence of arabic into a written language, which, essentially begins with the writing of the koran. More recent editions contain an afterword by malise ruthven bringing the history up to the present day including the invasion of iraq. A 3, 000 year history of peoples, tribes and empires. This book by hourani is an excellent work of scholarship regarding the arab peoples and their history after the rise of islam and founding of the caliphates, with a very small few pages dedicated to preislamic arab history.
The best books on the arabs five books expert recommendations. An essential book about the intersection of police violence and race, wesley lowerys. Today, arab refers to a large number of people whose native regions form the arab world due to the spread of arabs and the arabic language throughout the region during the early muslim conquests of the 7th and 8th centuries. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. The arabs forged the rashidun 632661, umayyad 661750 and the abbasid 7501258 caliphates. Hourani tries to cover most of the history of the arab peoples, but this is certainly no easy task.
Listen to history of the arab peoples by albert hourani at. One of the most dramatic and sudden movements of any people in history is the expansion, by conquest, of the arabs in the 7th century only the example of the mongols in the th century can match it. The subject covers more than twelve centuries, about a dozen empires and a vast territory, stretching from spain in the west to the islands of indonesia in the pacific ocean. Works to promote awareness of arab culture and history through peopletopeople contact. One of its great merits is that it gives priority to a history of the arab peoples foreign affairs. It is also used in judaism to refer to the jewish people and by members of some christian denominations to refer to themselves. Classic analysis written by understandable language. He is the leading figure among israels new historians, who over the past two decades have reshaped our understanding of the israeli arab conflict. Arab came to be used by these muslims themselves and by the nations with whom they came in contact to indicate all people of.
A history of the arab peoples is a book written by the britishborn lebanese historian albert hourani the book presents the history of the arabs from the advent of islam although some preislamic history is included to the late 20th century. The late albert hourani told the definitive history of the arab peoples from the seventh century, when the new religion of islam began to spread from the arabian peninsula westwards, to the. Hourani is one of the few scholars capable of writing a worthwhile history of the arabs. We are a nonprofit organization and we would rather spend the money on our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Encyclopedic and panoramic in its scope, this fascin. This list of 100 mustread books about ancient history reflects these changes. It was eyeopening as to the many different groups that make up the muslim world. In a bestselling work of profound and lasting importance, the late albert hourani told the definitive history of the arab peoples from the seventh. But to really understand the history of the arab peoples, we must study the life of abraham.
Introduction this page provides an overview of the history of islam and the arabs, which is a great part of the history of the middle east. New additions by scholar malise ruthven bring balance and fresh relevance to this 1991 history of the arab world, writes ian pindar. The culture of courts and people the ottoman age sixteentheighteenth century. Early on in his book eugene rogan, who teaches the modern history of the middle east, confesses that in any free and fair election. Mar 01, 2019 a riveting, comprehensive history of the arab peoples and tribes that explores the role of language as a cultural touchstone this kaleidoscopic book covers almost 3,000 years of arab history and shines a light on the footloose arab peoples and tribes who conquered lands and disseminated their language and culture over vast distances. There is lots of islamic history and politics in the book. A history of the arab peoples 1991 edition open library. In his seventeen years as commander of the arab legion, lieutenantgeneral sir john glubb acquired a sizable background in arab history, culture, and political life, which he aired in a number of previous works. Distinguished lebaneseamerican historian albert hourani presents this book that might seem comprehensive to the westerners but concise to the arabs. Thus, the history of the arab peoples is, in a very real way, the history of islam.
There are many people who can be called arabs by these points, but who do not think of themselves as arab. A history of the arab peoples by albert hourani goodreads. Albert hourani draws on many years of experience, research and thought in this masterful history of the arabs from mohammeds day to the present. Buy a history of the arab peoples new ed by hourani, albert isbn. Ibn khaldun, the great arab father of sociology, the. According to hittis own account, in 1927 the editor daniel macmillan, the brother of harold macmillan, wrote to philip hitti asking him to write a history of the arabs. Nov 15, 2010 in a panoramic view encompassing twelve centuries of arab history and culture, hourani brilliantly illuminated the people and events that have fundamentally shaped the arab world. Arabic culture is the culture of arab people, from the atlantic ocean in the west to the arabian sea in the east, and from the mediterranean sea.
It is a masterly distillation of a lifetime of scholarship and a unique insight into a perpetually troubled region. A more severe problem concerns the books overlyrosy picture. Now this seminal book is available in an expanded second edition. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. A history of the arab peoples by hourani, albert habib. History of the arabs is a book written by philip khuri hitti and was first published in 1937. Please help us cover our server costs for this year. Jack shaheen, the author of reel bad arabs and a is for arab. Cultural and educational organization conducting projects about the middle east. Albert hourani s a history of the arab peoples is an ambitious and successful attempt to summarize fourteen centuries of political, cultural, and religious history of people who inhabited an area that encompassed spain, north africa, and the middle east.
Their natural ferocity and love of warfare, together with the sense of moral rectitude provided. Language, literature, gastronomy, art, architecture, music, spirituality, philosophy, mysticism etc. History, arab civilization, muslim civilization collection opensource language english. When hourani titled his book, history of the arab peoples, he was being honest and literal the book is literally a history of the peoples, including the development of their interpretations of islam, the formation of various schools of thought on the islamic law and how literally it was to be interpreted, the conflict between secularism and fundamentalism and nationalism in the postimperial. A history of the arab peoples book by albert hourani. Many historians trace the peoples of the southern arabian peninsula to joktan, who is mentioned in the bible.
A people s history of the american revolution, vol 1\ this 8 volume set written as a popular history is essential to understand the continuity of the development of the united states. Other arab peoples are descendants of abrahams nephew lot, who fled sodom. A history of the arab peoples albert hourani harvard university. Upon its publication in 1991, albert houranis masterwork was hailed as the definitive story of arab civilization, and became both a bestseller and an instant classic. This is albert houranis a history of the arab peoples. Book summary chronicles the history of arab civilization, looking at the beauty of the great mosques, the importance attached to education, the achievements of arab science, the role of women. In a bestselling work of profound and lasting importance, the late albert hourani told the definitive history of the arab peoples from the seventh century, when the new religion of islam began to spread from the arabian peninsula westwards, to the present day. The book does not explain the origins of the arab people. The book, which also contains a thirtypage bibliography. Archiving stereotypes in us popular culture, has spent his career analyzing the way arabs have been portrayed in american film and television over the last century. Ahl alkitab is an islamic term which refers to jews, christians, sabians, and zoroastrians. History of arabia, history of the region from prehistoric times to the present sometime after the rise of islam in the first quarter of the 7th century ce and the emergence of the arabian muslims as the founders of one of the great empires of history, the name. The desert tribesmen of arabia form the bulk of the muslim armies.
History of arabia, history of the region from prehistoric times to the present. Hourani delivers a grand story in a deceptively quiet and gentle tone of voice. Apr 28, 2011 ancient history encyclopedia foundation is a nonprofit organization. In a panoramic view encompassing twelve centuries of arab history and culture, hourani brilliantly illuminated the people and events that have fundamentally. A history of the arab peoples inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every. And it was very common for older men to have sex with younger, beardless men. The best books on understanding the arab world five. Upon its publication in 1991, albert houraniae tms masterwork was hailed as the definitive story of arab civilization, and became both a bestseller and an instant classic.
But the evident virtues of a history of the arab peoples notwithstanding, close scrutiny of the book reveals some major deficiencies, having to do with its static quality, its tendency to gloss over problems, and its hidden agenda. Benny morris is professor of history in the middle east studies department of bengurion university, israel. Albert hourani a history of the arab peoples, 1992 edition this book is a milehigh overview of the history of arab peoples from mohammed to 1991. The book presents the history of the arabs from the advent. Despite the turmoil of arab nationalism and fundamentalism, middle eastern wars, and oil crises, the history of the arab world has been little known and poorly understood in the west. Arab americans history, modern era, arabs in america.
A history of the arab peoples albert hourani harvard. Ancient history encyclopedia foundation is a nonprofit organization. A history of the arab peoples harvard university press. Aug 14, 2017 17 books on race every white person needs to read. The biblical origins of the arab peoples united church of god. Arab people simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. A history of the arab peoples albert habib hourani. Aug 22, 2019 in the 14th century, the moroccan wanderer ibn battuta allegedly spent nearly 30 years traveling some 75,000 miles across africa, the middle east, india and southeast asia. Albert hourani a panoramic view of 12 centuries of arab history. Jan 01, 2002 the arab peoples comprise numerous clans and tribes. Nov 15, 2010 buy the paperback book a history of the arab peoples. How hollywood vilifies people was adapted into a documentary and shown across the united states and to global. World, africa, arabian peninsula, sale books, arab countries, history publisher new york, ny. In modern usage, it embraces any of the arabicspeaking peoples living in the vast region from mauritania, on the atlantic coast of africa, to southwestern iran, including the entire maghrib of north africa, egypt and sudan, the arabian peninsula, and syria and iraq.
Unpleasantries such as racism, the status of women, and the arab record in africa are either touched on lightly or sugarcoated. Albert hourani no region in the world today is more important than the middle east. This history is readable, does not focus on politics, politicians or generals and warfare. Houranis work more closely resembles an arab chronicle than a modern western history. Sometime after the rise of islam in the first quarter of the 7th century ce and the emergence of the arabian muslims as the founders of one of the great empires of history, the name. Upon its publication in 1991, albert houranis masterwork was hailed as the definitive story of arab civilization.
Houranis a history of the arab peoples spans centuries and continents as he describes the history of arabicspeaking people of northern africa, spain, and the middle east. The book presents the history of the arabs from the advent of islam although some preislamic history is included to the late 20th century. A history of the arab peoples by albert habib hourani 2 currently reading published 1991 by belknap press of harvard university press in cambridge, mass. Early on in his book eugene rogan, who teaches the modern history of the middle east.
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