This multi-volume set of reissued classics brings together a collection of titles that touch on many key aspects of the history of the Middle East. From the early explorers of Arabia to the 1979 revolution in Iran, via histories of places as varied as the UAE and Zanzibar, the analysis of Nazi policies towards the Arab East, and a close reading of the territorial foundations of the Gulf states, the books collected here form a wide-ranging and eclectic study of the history of the region.

This nine volume set provides an overview of many aspects of Middle Eastern language and literature. These books range from discussions of the Arabic language and its publications, to translations of some of the region’s most important early works, to a survey of folk tales and modern literature.

This set re-issues 4 volumes originally published between 1985 and 1991. They Examine the historical process of social formation that gave rise to the communal consciousness of the Arab nation and determined its sense of identity Present detailed analysis of resources in the Arab world, including population, employment, oil and water supplies Discuss dimensions of Afro-Arab co-operation and the future of Afro-Arab Relations Analyse the relations between state and society in the Arab World.

The study of Arab historiography and of the emergence of the Arab nation-state as an object of historical treatment is a matter of considerable current interest. Despite its importance, no academic work has dealt with this subject as a major preoccupation of Arab historians and intellectuals. This book, first published in 1989, discusses the development of modern Arab historiography and its study of the nation-state in the nineteenth century, and analyses the work of three contemporary Arab historians from Egypt, the Lebanon and Morocco. An important and highly readable account, it reaffirms the importance of historiography and proposes a revision of the manner in which modern Arab thought has hitherto been classified and interpreted.

The discovery of oil brought enormous change to the Gulf. It transformed the simple fishing and grazing economies of the Gulf states into some of the wealthiest countries in the world. This book, first published in 1977, examines the impact of oil and oil wealth on the Gulf states. It describes the clash between traditional culture and Westernisation and explodes some of the Western myths about social and economic development in the area. It covers both economic change and progress in education, social welfare, urbanisation and industrial diversification. A unique collection of photographs accompanies the authoritative text.

Exploration usually demands the qualities of bravery, curiosity and organising ability. Arabia demanded more of the voyager: linguistic ability of a high order, scholarship and an imaginative temperament. It was also necessary to be able to pass as a native, if not of Arabia then of part of the Islamic world. The early explorers faced untold dan