A Concise History of the Arabs

“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

“A lucid and highly readable history of the Arab peoples up to the present day. John McHugo has provided a way of understanding this complex and on-going story that will enlighten all who read it.” —Charles Tripp, author of ‘The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle East’

“Vivid and engaging . . . . invaluable for those seeking to understand the depth and complexity of the contemporary issues in the Arab world.” —Joy Gordon, author of ‘Invisible War: The United States and the Iraq Sanctions’

“Purposeful, insightful and tremendously useful, complete with an excellent bibliographic essay.” —Kirkus

“A Concise History of the Arabs is to be recommended as probably the first easily accessible yet comprehensive history of the Arabs in English. 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

“The author doesn’t waste a word, yet he writes with a nuanced fluency to hold the readers attention to this essential history.” —History Book Club

“A lucid and highly readable history of the Arab peoples up to the present day. John 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’