A History of the Arab Peoples Audiobook

" Fascinating so far - party because I knew so little about the Arabic countries before. "

" Excellent overview and just enough detail on seminal historical periods and events... Rare to find an Arab historian writing with such objectivity. "

" As exhausting as it was to read this packed tome, it was worth it for the sheer amount of information. Stylistically it is a bit dry, to be sure, but that's more of a non-issue in this kind of work, where there is a lot of ground to cover. "

" It's a great one to read if you're interested and have a background in middle eastern history. Can be very slow and drawn out with confusing references if you're not already familiar with the topic. "

" A decent general overview of Arab history. While this was a good book in many respects, I think I was hoping for something more. "

" Best history of the Arabs ever published. Hourani's works have stood the test of time. "

" Lots of good information but very dry. History doesn't have to be boring. "

" A very fine read to understand Arab history. To see today's problem, one has to look into the past and this book surely does that! "

" Poorly organized, way too general: he could have said anything and it'd have been difficult to verify. This was probably useful as a textbook for a course thirty years ago, but I'd skip it if you're just reading for personal edification... "

" Every paragraph is packed with information. Don't blink, you'll miss something. Totally thorough and filled with stuff you did not learn in World History 101. "

" I should probably give this more than three stars. I half-forgot about this book until I saw it in my recommended book list. "

" amazing historian, amazing book. "

" Hard to read as a non-adherent. I loved that he dove deeply in not only the political Middle East but the cultural heritage as well. However his lengthy discussions of the formation of modern theological thought, while certainly important, had me skimming and then skipping while sections completely. "

" What I loved about this is how it gives valuable insights and answers to a Western audience while covering a broad swath of history while still being readable. Highly recommended . "

" Very in depth look at the history of Islam and the Middle East. Difficult but worth it. "

" Great intro to a complicated topic. Hourani is a gifted writer and scholar. Often it's hard to follow, but it's 1500 years in 500 pages so...yeah. Also, almost no mention of the Armenian genocide. "

" Comprehensive, exhaustive and insightful "

" The writing is pretty dry (no pun intended), but it is a perfect survey of the history of a much-maligned people. Lessons for our own erstwhile-preeminent society abound. "

" Readable, an excellent overview but not cursory, clearly presented, can be used as a textbook: you can go back to this book any time... I personally did not read this in a start-to-finish fashion, but just read random bits that I was interested in. "

" A very readable history of the Arab people and their faith. "

" I believe this book was recommended by a secular Muslim friend who loaned me her copy. It was, remarkably, the first book about Arab history as a whole that I'd ever read and is designed for Anglo-Americans who aren't very familiar with Arab history. "

" Required book for an Islamic Civilization course that I've taken at San Francisco State University. I've read only the portion about the Ottoman Empire. It gives a good informative explanation of the empire itself. However, I felt that the manner in which it is explained its a bit too technical. "

" Hourani's book is one of the best overall omnibus views of the development of Arab culture and religion, thorough and neither forgiving nor condemning. Well worth reading. "

" Poorly organized, way too general: he could have said anything and it'd have been difficult to verify. This was probably useful as a textbook for a course thirty years ago, but I'd skip it if you're just reading for personal edification... "

" I believe this book was recommended by a secular Muslim friend who loaned me her copy. It was, remarkably, the first book about Arab history as a whole that I'd ever read and is designed for Anglo-Americans who aren't very familiar with Arab history. "

" Whew. A book jam-packed with info. Makes for some dry reading, though. Maybe it's because of all those deserts. "

" Lots of good information but very dry. History doesn't have to be boring. "

" I probably learn more about the Arabs from one reading of this book then from 65 years of reading newspapers. "

" Excellent. Dense with information; overwhelming at times but reveals the heart and soul of the Arab peoples. "

" A treasure chest of information and cultural insights into the Arab world. "