The Arabs

A History

By: Eugene Rogan

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

In this definitive history of the modern Arab world, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan draws extensively on Arab sources and texts to place the Arab experience in its crucial historical context for the first time. Tracing five centuries of Arab history, Rogan reveals that there was an age when the Arabs set the rules for the rest of the world. Today, however, the Arab world's sense of subjection to external powers carries vast consequences for both the region and Westerners who attempt to control it.

Updated with a new epilogue, The Arabs is an invaluable, groundbreaking work of history.

©2009 Eugene Rogan; revised introduction and postscript copyright 2016 by Eugene Rogan (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Rogan eruditely furnishes Western readers with a background to current events." ( Booklist)

A must listen for anyone interested in current events

This book is an excellent overview of Arab history and should be listened to by anyone interested in, and confused by, current events in the Middle East. The only way to understand the present is to study the past. Well written, and well narrated.

Amazing capturing storyline!

Where does The Arabs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the most captivating books I've listened to. I was skeptical about a 27 hour long book but I truly wanted this book to be even longer.

The storyline was so well done and fair. Zooming in on individual stories and zooming back out to the larger macro-political view.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Despite this being factual based, the book captured many "character" like stories throughout. For example, the story of Gamal Abdel Nasser and Muhammad Ali.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Glimpse of hope in a dark past.

Any additional comments?

Would have loved to hear about some of the major revolutions around the Arab world such as Omar Al Moukhtar and Sultan Basha Al Atrach but the book had so much to offer to offset this.

Very interesting and informative

Really enjoyed the book. The history regarding the second Iraq war was at best incomplete and one sided, and at worst biased to reflect the author's political views. The result was contradiction and confusion. The book was excellent up to the epilogue and the post script where it lost some of it's historical integrity.

Excellent Education

I am grateful for the author's treatment of this important subject. I now understand the common threads that tie together events remembered as distinct. Many nations have had a hand in creating the environment that made it possible for people to commit so many atrocities. We in the west should commit ourselves to learning about this region from sources other than the press and politicians.

Excellent Book

A great overview of the history of the Arabs, and must read for anyone interested in learning that region.

excellent primer

excellent primer / review - simultaneously broad enough for one with no background yet discrete enough to improve knowledge base of one with better than average background

A must read

Really great book, very well written. I'm not a history reader, but I felt like I needed to read something to help me make some sense of today's world. This book delivered, and exceed all my expectations. Although a long book, I must say it kept me captivated to the last word.

required reading

Very important for understanding international relations today. Even-handed and bigotry-free. The only weak point is its omission of Arab history before the sixteenth century.

Outstanding!

This book is a wealth of information for those whose interest in the Arab world transcends the superficial veneers of the obvious differences between the East and the West. The book goes much deeper and explores the historical, geographical, spiritual, cultural, and other dynamics that really bring to the surface of one's understanding the complexity, the beauty, the struggles and the intricate nuances that make the Arab world so interesting.

A variably paced history of Arabs

Good overview of a long history of Arabs. Not an expert on the topic but familiar with parts of the history. Out of necessity some things are not discussed as deeply as they should be. But I left the book with better awareness of a complex and disputed story.