A review by jpwright87
A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani

3.0

So much info, so little space. Telling the history of just one people over a 1500 year period in less than 500 pages is impressive, but any explanations are maddeningly vague or require too much trust in the author. I think such a broad scope is acceptable when theorizing, but when the purpose of the book is simply historical, I need more details. Besides that problem, the book is extremely educating. I'm no expert, but Hourani seems pretty sympathetic to the subject matter (which is fine) and briefly covers many unexpected areas, such as art, architecture, and music.