A Short History of the Arab Peoples

Excellent short review of who is where and how they differ from each other. Written in detail, but easily understood by non-experts and non-historians, this book will give you a strong understanding of how the current crises are merely continuations of what has happened before, but yet also the hope of seeing patterns in how conflicts were resolved in the past. For reviews of similar books, see the resources page at civilsociety at seedwiki

i once long ago in another time read the multi volumes that were abridged down into this single short history of course i recomend the separate volumes but why eat so much ,this short small course is excellent...an excellent "short" history of the arab peoples...well written it will leave you spellbound.

I used this book as a referrence when I was first learning the history of the Arabs. The book gives exquisite detail of the subject matter. In spite of this detail, it is not overwhelming for the new reader of Arabic History. It makes excellent reading for anyone with an interest, either mild or passionate. Hurrah for Sir John!

If you must read a quick history of the Middle East, read this book - it's a hoot. Glubb was an English soldier who commanded the Jordanian Army during WWII and the first Arab-Israeli War, was kicked out of Jordan in the 1950's, and turned to writing books. Lots of books - on his experiences as a soldier, on history, current events, and even theology. This one is a condensation of a much longer four volume set on Arab history from the 7th century AD to the present century. Glubb does a pretty good job of getting his points across while excising some redundancies and boring spots. It is lively, personal, incredibly fun and easy to read, but has certain innacuracies, which academics will no doubt find annoying. But who cares - this is a really a great introduction to Arab history. Just a word of caution to newcomers to the topic - take his personal opinions for a grain of salt, because sometimes they are a bit flaky.