Synopsis
Since the VII century, when the new Islam religion began to propagate from the Arabic peninsula towards the West, to the present; Albert Hourani unfolds with effectiveness and a large documentation the history of Arab towns, as well as their relation to the great issues of world-wide history. Hourani describes the expansion of monotheism and the Arab language spoken in countries as different as Egypt, Syria or Morocco.

The terrorist attacks in the United States, the ongoing crisis in Iraq, and the renewed violence between Israelis and Palestinians all underscore the need for a balanced and well-informed understanding of the Arab world, and make this insightful history of Arab people more important than ever.