Albert Hourani's
A History of the Arab Peoples reviews
Arab history and
society, from the time of
Mohammed to the present day. Actually, the
book concentrates on
social issues (
art,
literature,
economics,
architecture,
religion,
philosophy, power structures, etc.) much more than traditional history. The writing is somewhat dry and esoteric, as you might expect from an
Oxford scholar.
I had mixed feelings about the book. For someone like myself, who knows little about the region, a more engaging traditional history would be preferable. Hourani's work is probably an excellent book for someone who already knows a good deal about the Arab world, judging from the accolades that it received.