A Concise History of the Arabs

Concise-History-bformat-2nd-editionThe key to understanding the Arab world today is unlocking its past.

In this authoritative account, John McHugo takes the reader through the political, social and intellectual history of the Arabs from the Roman Empire right up to the present day. Going beyond the headlines, he describes in vivid detail a series of key turning points in Arab history – from the mission of the Prophet Muhammad and the expansion of Islam to the region’s interaction with Western ideas and the rise of Islamism.

Now fully updated to cover the tumultuous years since the Arab Spring, this lucidly told history reveals how the Arab world came to have its present form and illuminates
the choices that lie ahead.

Reviews
‘Thrilling and poignant, woven with a layered texture of knowledge and empathy that deftly stitches familiar figures into the narrative in a fresh way.’ David Gardner, International Affairs Editor, Financial Times and author of Last Chance: The Middle East in the Balance
‘A lucid and highly readable history of the Arab peoples up to the present day. John McHugo has managed to show, with compassion, a good deal of humour and unerring historical judgment, the power of the ideas and the forces that have shaped what we now think of as the Arab world. In doing so, McHugo has provided a way of understanding this complex and ongoing story that will enlighten all who read it.’ Charles Tripp, author of The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle East
This concise, brilliant and erudite book is the product of wide reading, hard thinking and years of direct experience of the Middle East. The author, an international lawyer and Arabist, has managed to throw fresh light on 1,400 years of Arab history from the Prophet Muhammad to the Arab Spring. There are lively and informative insights on almost every page.’
Patrick Seale, author of Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East
Highly readable … Ideal for novices, it is also a useful and exciting read for those who have read much about the area but never had the whole story summed up in a single volume.’
Jordan Times
‘[An] elegant work of history. It is an introductory history for newcomers to the field, but it still manages to take up some of the most significant debates without making them banal. This combination makes this book one of the more recommendable introductions to Arab history.’ Journal of Peace Research
‘… a valuable and rewarding work … highly recommended’ Bulletin of the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia
‘Purposeful, insightful and tremendously useful’ Kirkus
‘A valuable introduction to Arab history’ Asian Affairs
‘Gets to the point with authority, insight and grace to provide the essential political contexts for understanding the ongoing developments in today’s Arab world’ History Book Club