History of Arabic Literature

Arabic Literature is a way synonymous with the language off Islamic theology, philosophy and science. It is expressive of a culture, a body of ideas and values rather then a specific ethnic group. Tracing the history of Arabic Literature is more like tracing the rise and fall of Islamic civilization. Although its birth can be traced from Central and North-Eastern Arabia, the literature is not the product only of Arabs, but of a vide variety of ethnics who share the region and its culture. The book, divided into seven chapters, spans the various historical phases of Arabic literature beginning from A.D. 500 to A.D. 1800. The appendix covers a valuable set of references of translations from the Arabic into English, French, German and Italian. The book is a rare work of scholarship, taking out the essence of Arabic Literature from a vide range or archival material. It should interest all students of Literature, Islamic Culture and Language and all persons interested in the Arabic Region.