The Arab World, Reviews
Two weeks ago I flew to New York’s JFK airport from London. When my turn came to go through immigration, I handed over my British passport to the Homeland Security official, and waited for the ‘click, click, click’ of the inked stamp. But instead, my passport was slipped into a green plastic folder, and I was asked politely to wait in a small room packed with illegal immigrants, newly arrived from all corners of the globe. After two hours of sitting there, I was waved into the United States. My crime, if it was a crime, to have a passport littered with Arabic stamps, mainly from the North African kingdom of Morocco, where I moved to three years ago.
As one who is living on the western edge of the Arab World, I can feel the fallout of September 11th continue raining down around me. The terrible Al-Qaeda attacks almost single-handedly destroyed the West’s trust in the region. It is a great sadness. This selection of books is aimed at reminding us of the extraordinary cultural heritage of the Arab World, and that terrorists do not represent the majority of Arabs.
Uneasy Lies the Head, King Hussein of Jordan:
This autobiography was written when King Hussein was just 37 years old. But in the fast-changing times the Post War Middle East, Hussein was a veteran by then, having already reigned for twenty years. His rule proved him to be a survivor par excellence, and an outstanding champion of moderation and modernity, while respectful of the ancient Bedouin code. The book is poetic, powerful and illustrates well how Hussein and his kingdom have acted as a bridge between East and West.
The Arab of the Desert, H. R. P. Dickson: Fluent in Arabic from infancy, H. R. P. Dickson was fostered to a Bedouin woman as a child, and was subsequently welcomed as a blood-brother to her children in the Anizah tribe. The huge volume depicts life for the Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti Bedouin in exceptional detail, from tribal culture, lore and festivals, to information on locusts, camel disputes, sandstorms, and even pearl diving. The great joy of this work is the information on daily matters, the kind of ordinariness that other writers leave out. It is hard to imagine another book of such scope, ever being published.
Far Arabia, Peter Brent:
For the Victorians, the idea of Arabia was of a place of extreme hardship, peopled with domineering tribes unequalled in their codes of honor, chivalry and sense of tradition. The West fell in love with what formed a richly-romanticized tapestry of the truth – desert oases, fair maidens, and blood feuds, against a backdrop of Islamic life. In this book, the British author Peter Brent draws the reader through the many existing accounts of Arabia, written by explorers, adventurers and soldiers, from the time of Ludovico di Varthema in the sixteenth century, to the likes of T. E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell in more recent times.
The Arabs, David Lamb:
After spending years as a journalist in Cairo, Lamb wrote the first edition of this book in 1987, detailing well the similarities and the subtle differences between the eighteen or so Arab nations. Then, in the light of the 9/11 attacks, he returned and updated the book, rounding it with new insight, especially on how the rise of Islamic terrorism could have arrived at the point it did on that morning in September 2001. Lamb’s journalistic eye, and readable style, make this a handbook for anyone wanting to penetrate the mindset of the Arab world.
Travels in the Unknown East, John Grant:
One of the most curious travel books detailing journeys in the Arab World, this work is formed from two different excursions through the region, separated by fifty years. Grant first traveled eastward from Istanbul in the 1930s, and returned in the late ‘eighties essentially to meet old friends and to see how things had changed. Noticeable change was of course monumental. But at the same time, as Grant notes, there was very little cultural difference at all. Tradition in the Arab World dies hard, and the sense of the romantic is ever-present. Grant’s prose resounds with tales of swordsmanship, sultans, poets and secret sects, and deserves to become a classic in its own time.
Arabian Sands, Wilfred Thesiger:
Frequently called ‘the last Victorian traveler’ because of his willingness to endure excruciating hardship, Thesiger made his mark by living with the Bedouin of Rub al Qali, the ‘Empty Quarter’ of the Arabian Desert, during the 1940s. His journeys recounted in Arabian Sands describe a simplicity, a time before the immense wealth of oil dollars had filtered down even to the remotest desert encampment. Thesiger is always quoted as being a nomad himself. This is partly true, but he thrived on the community and the bonds made with his fellow travelers. Thesiger, who died in 2003 at the age of 93, always said that the journeys across the high desert dunes would have been meaningless if he had been alone.
The Heirs of the Prophet Muhammed, Barnaby Rogerson:
In the years immediately after the Prophet Muhammed’s death, the new religion of Islam spread east and west, almost exploding out from what were essentially small communities on the Arabian peninsular. The force of this expansion was down to a handful of individuals, each of whom had been entrusted with the solemn duty of converting others, by the Prophet himself. Rogerson’s book shines new light on the early days of Islam, building on the author’s existing biography of Muhammed. The book is fascinating, especially its analysis of the roots of the schism between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.
History of the Arab Peoples, Albert Hourani:
Emeritus Fellow of St. Anthony’s College, Oxford, Hourani is an academic whose major works, such as this, consider the rise of Islamic Arab civilization from the seventh century, and how and why the Arab World is what it is today. Hourani’s writing is scholarly but accessible. The subject matter of his History allows a layperson to enter the mind of Arab society, and to actually understand the progression of Islam from its inception in Mecca to its place as a world religion. Recent events in the Middle East have made this book all the more valuable for a Western and an eastern audience.
Islam: A Short History, Karen Armstrong:
Published just before the 9/11 attacks, Armstrong’s book urges the Western readership to re-evaluate its perception of the Islamic religion. The role of this work is as a primary educator to anyone who feels they want to know more about the Islam, specifically how and where the religion has spread. It deals with the complexities of the Caliphates and the numerous Islamic Empires with delicacy, and is valuable for offering an broad view of the Islamic World at the dawn of the 21st century.
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, Amin Maalouf:
Consult the European and the Arab accounts of the Crusades and it can seem as if you’re reading about totally different campaigns. Saladin was feted in the Arab World, just as he was despised in Christendom, but his victories were real, and included taking Jerusalem in the year 1187. The Lebanese author Amin Maalouf scoured the works of contemporary Arab writers and assembled a fascinating view of the Crusades from the Arab perspective, a view which is most normally obscured. His book, which doesn’t hide the misdeeds and crimes of the Arab leadership of the time, is valuable in perceiving a known slice of history from a fresh standpoint.
(Written for the Washington Post)
(C) Tahir Shah, 2006
As one who is living on the western edge of the Arab World, I can feel the fallout of September 11th continue raining down around me. The terrible Al-Qaeda attacks almost single-handedly destroyed the West’s trust in the region. It is a great sadness. This selection of books is aimed at reminding us of the extraordinary cultural heritage of the Arab World, and that terrorists do not represent the majority of Arabs.
Uneasy Lies the Head, King Hussein of Jordan:
This autobiography was written when King Hussein was just 37 years old. But in the fast-changing times the Post War Middle East, Hussein was a veteran by then, having already reigned for twenty years. His rule proved him to be a survivor par excellence, and an outstanding champion of moderation and modernity, while respectful of the ancient Bedouin code. The book is poetic, powerful and illustrates well how Hussein and his kingdom have acted as a bridge between East and West.
The Arab of the Desert, H. R. P. Dickson: Fluent in Arabic from infancy, H. R. P. Dickson was fostered to a Bedouin woman as a child, and was subsequently welcomed as a blood-brother to her children in the Anizah tribe. The huge volume depicts life for the Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti Bedouin in exceptional detail, from tribal culture, lore and festivals, to information on locusts, camel disputes, sandstorms, and even pearl diving. The great joy of this work is the information on daily matters, the kind of ordinariness that other writers leave out. It is hard to imagine another book of such scope, ever being published.
Far Arabia, Peter Brent:
For the Victorians, the idea of Arabia was of a place of extreme hardship, peopled with domineering tribes unequalled in their codes of honor, chivalry and sense of tradition. The West fell in love with what formed a richly-romanticized tapestry of the truth – desert oases, fair maidens, and blood feuds, against a backdrop of Islamic life. In this book, the British author Peter Brent draws the reader through the many existing accounts of Arabia, written by explorers, adventurers and soldiers, from the time of Ludovico di Varthema in the sixteenth century, to the likes of T. E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell in more recent times.
The Arabs, David Lamb:
After spending years as a journalist in Cairo, Lamb wrote the first edition of this book in 1987, detailing well the similarities and the subtle differences between the eighteen or so Arab nations. Then, in the light of the 9/11 attacks, he returned and updated the book, rounding it with new insight, especially on how the rise of Islamic terrorism could have arrived at the point it did on that morning in September 2001. Lamb’s journalistic eye, and readable style, make this a handbook for anyone wanting to penetrate the mindset of the Arab world.
Travels in the Unknown East, John Grant:
One of the most curious travel books detailing journeys in the Arab World, this work is formed from two different excursions through the region, separated by fifty years. Grant first traveled eastward from Istanbul in the 1930s, and returned in the late ‘eighties essentially to meet old friends and to see how things had changed. Noticeable change was of course monumental. But at the same time, as Grant notes, there was very little cultural difference at all. Tradition in the Arab World dies hard, and the sense of the romantic is ever-present. Grant’s prose resounds with tales of swordsmanship, sultans, poets and secret sects, and deserves to become a classic in its own time.
Arabian Sands, Wilfred Thesiger:
Frequently called ‘the last Victorian traveler’ because of his willingness to endure excruciating hardship, Thesiger made his mark by living with the Bedouin of Rub al Qali, the ‘Empty Quarter’ of the Arabian Desert, during the 1940s. His journeys recounted in Arabian Sands describe a simplicity, a time before the immense wealth of oil dollars had filtered down even to the remotest desert encampment. Thesiger is always quoted as being a nomad himself. This is partly true, but he thrived on the community and the bonds made with his fellow travelers. Thesiger, who died in 2003 at the age of 93, always said that the journeys across the high desert dunes would have been meaningless if he had been alone.
The Heirs of the Prophet Muhammed, Barnaby Rogerson:
In the years immediately after the Prophet Muhammed’s death, the new religion of Islam spread east and west, almost exploding out from what were essentially small communities on the Arabian peninsular. The force of this expansion was down to a handful of individuals, each of whom had been entrusted with the solemn duty of converting others, by the Prophet himself. Rogerson’s book shines new light on the early days of Islam, building on the author’s existing biography of Muhammed. The book is fascinating, especially its analysis of the roots of the schism between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.
History of the Arab Peoples, Albert Hourani:
Emeritus Fellow of St. Anthony’s College, Oxford, Hourani is an academic whose major works, such as this, consider the rise of Islamic Arab civilization from the seventh century, and how and why the Arab World is what it is today. Hourani’s writing is scholarly but accessible. The subject matter of his History allows a layperson to enter the mind of Arab society, and to actually understand the progression of Islam from its inception in Mecca to its place as a world religion. Recent events in the Middle East have made this book all the more valuable for a Western and an eastern audience.
Islam: A Short History, Karen Armstrong:
Published just before the 9/11 attacks, Armstrong’s book urges the Western readership to re-evaluate its perception of the Islamic religion. The role of this work is as a primary educator to anyone who feels they want to know more about the Islam, specifically how and where the religion has spread. It deals with the complexities of the Caliphates and the numerous Islamic Empires with delicacy, and is valuable for offering an broad view of the Islamic World at the dawn of the 21st century.
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, Amin Maalouf:
Consult the European and the Arab accounts of the Crusades and it can seem as if you’re reading about totally different campaigns. Saladin was feted in the Arab World, just as he was despised in Christendom, but his victories were real, and included taking Jerusalem in the year 1187. The Lebanese author Amin Maalouf scoured the works of contemporary Arab writers and assembled a fascinating view of the Crusades from the Arab perspective, a view which is most normally obscured. His book, which doesn’t hide the misdeeds and crimes of the Arab leadership of the time, is valuable in perceiving a known slice of history from a fresh standpoint.
(Written for the Washington Post)
(C) Tahir Shah, 2006
posted by Mangorains at 3:04 PM
0 comments
