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Book reviews for "Hourani,_Albert_Habib" sorted by average review score:

A history of the Arab peoples
Published in Unknown Binding by ()
Author: Albert Habib Hourani
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Detailed and scholarly
Hourani's book is not light reading because of its rich details and incredible depth and breadth. In it, the history of the Middle East from pre-Islamic times to the present is chronicled - the majority of the book covering the Islamic world.

To one previously only briefly familiar with the area, the book was a little overwhelming. The information came fast and furious; fortunately the book was well written and read easily. Much of it deals not with political history, but rather with broader social themes: rural life compared to urban life, the common man compared to the educated elite, women and their role in Islamic society.

The only issue I had with this otherwise wonderful book was its lack of explaination of the various legal philosophies. (I am still puzzled between the differences of Hanafi, Maliki and Shaf'i interpretations of shari'a - Islamic law.) The fact that this is such a minor point given the scope of the book is testament to its otherwise fabulous nature.

Good book for acquiring a background of the Middle East
Hourani provides an excellent background of the history, culture and society of the Arab peoples. He succesfully combines these to provide the reader with a formidable picture of the life of of the peoples of the Middle Eastern and Maghrib Region during various periods in history, giving an excellent synopsis of how their history led up to the current events and problems of the region. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in studying this region, its people and its culture, as well as Islam more closely, as well as for those who are interested in understanding present day Arabia better

Academic and Comprehensive
To those who have had their history lesson from Hollywood, it is easy to see the "creation" of the Arab world centering around T. E. Lawrence and the Saudis. However, books like Albert Hourani's A History of the Arab Peoples offer a counterpoint. Beautifully written, in plain and simple English, this book is comparable to those that have come before. It serves to broaden our perspective around the richness that is the Arab world. The range of the book is amazing - pre-islamic empires, social constructions, religion, civilization. Without the hyperbole that marks works that wish to compensate for the lack of information about what has gone before, Hourani takes us to a time and place we have never seen. OK, there are parts that seem more academic than your average book but it gets to the point. Richly detailed and very detached, the world is richer for books like this.

Miguel Llora


Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age, 1798-1939
Published in Paperback by Oxford University Press (1970)
Author: Albert Habib. Hourani
Amazon base price: $5.95
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Europe and the Middle East
Published in Unknown Binding by Macmillan Press ()
Author: Albert Habib Hourani
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Middle Eastern Politics and Ideas: A History from Within (Library of Modern Middle East Studies, 6)
Published in Hardcover by I B Tauris & Co Ltd (1998)
Authors: Ilan Pappe, Moshe Ma'Oz, and Moshe Maoz
Amazon base price: $65.00
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The Ottoman background of the modern Middle East
Published in Unknown Binding by Longmans for the University of Essex ()
Author: Albert Habib Hourani
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Western attitudes towards Islam
Published in Unknown Binding by [Southampton University Press] ()
Author: Albert Habib Hourani
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