A Literary History of the Arabs [Paperback]

For sixty years, the best account in English of Arab literature has been, by universal consent, this book; its supremacy will long remain unchallenged.For sixty years, the best account in English of this vast output has been, by universal consent, this book; its supremacy will long remain unchallenged. That it is a book full of erudition and high critical judgement goes without saying; its author is also a poet-translator of rare excellence.For sixty years, the best account in English of this vast output has been, by universal consent, this book; its supremacy will long remain unchallenged. That it is a book full of erudition and high critical judgement goes without saying; its author is also a poet-translator of rare excellence.The Arabs during a thousand years or more produced one of the richest and most extensive literatures of the world, embracing fine poetry (of the fierce desert life equally with the sophistication of royal courts), belles lettres (learned essays, satires, de arte amoris), religious, mystical and philosophical writings, and huge compendia of history, biography and geography. For sixty years, the best account in English of this vast output has been, by universal consent, R. A. Nicholson's Literary History of the Arabs; its supremacy will long remain unchallenged. That it is a book full of erudition and high critical judgement goes without saying; its author is also a poet-translator of rare excellence.Preface; Introduction; 1. Saba and Himyar; 2. The history and legends of the Pagan Arabs; 3. Pre-Islamic poetry, manners, and religion; 4. The prophet and the Koran; 5. The Orthodox Caliphate and the Umattay Dynasty; 6. The Caliphs of Baghd?d; 7. Poetry, literature, and science in the 'Abb?sid period; 8. Orthodoxy, free-thought, and mysticism; 9. The Arabs in Europe; 10. From the Mongol invasion to the present day; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.