Arabian Books

In many respects, I am a big fan of Dover Publishing. One of their business strategies is to republish great old books whose copyright protection has expired. They do not have to pay their authors/illustrators and we the reading public get access to some classic books at a reasonable price. Editor Jeff Menges used a variant of this strategy when he assembled "Arabian Nights-Illustrated". But instead of republishing the texts, Menges only selected the images for his compilation.

The Golden Age of Illustration is generally considered to have run from the 1880's until the years immediately following the Great War. Gifted illustrators like Edmund Dulac, Maxfield Parrish and N.C. Wyeth prepared sumptous images for children's books. Using as a resource the many volumes published of "The Arabian Nights", Menges has assembled beautiful images from the great illustrators of the day. Of special note, during this time period, "Orientalism" was one of the crazes that swept the art world. It is interesting to see how this fad for the "Oriental" was integrated into children's books.

What keeps me from giving this book five stars is the mediocre printing that is typical of Dover Publishing. A revolution in book printing has taken place in the last twenty years. Unfortunately, Dover is still stuck in the technology of the 1980's. The books' images have that washed out look that speaks eloquently of low production values. If Dover Publishing is going to produce art books, they should make a better printing effort. If you want to see how vibrant the images look in their original volumes, check out Minh Lai's beautiful web site, www.nocloo.com.

I am putting together a program of storytelling for elementary school and found there is not much in the way of stories from the Middle East. This book provides beautiful templates of past editions of books that are unique and will do wonderfully as projected images during stories. The price was great.

What a fun book this is. Collected here are some of the most famous illustrations, made by some of the most famous illustrators, of one of the most famous collection of fantastic stories. Scheherezade, Aladdin, Ali Baba and their cohorts come to life in a wonderful variety of styles spanning roughly a century and a half. Dulac, Folkard and Parrish get top billing--deservedly so. I loved the dramatic, ethereal qualities of Parrish when I read the Arabian Nights as a boy, and appreciate his brilliance as an adult. Dulac and Folkard also merge drama, imagination and power to create art worthy of the great stories they portray. These three continue to set the standard in illustration, not just for children's literature but for adults, too.

Another thing I loved about the book was seeing the artistic progression of great illustrators, as well as the development of Europe's collective imagination and ability to express the supernatural. Early illustrators depicted djinn much more literally, providing art that would almost fit into a slightly exotic Jane Austen novel. As art styles developed, morphed, clashed and grew, we get ever-more fascinating interpretations of the same stories. The Art Deco stylists, the impressionists and others provide art that is as vivid as it is wonderfully surreal. Again, Parrish's style is completely natural, but worlds removed from his predecessors' in terms of expressing magic.

On the technical front, I'm pleased that Dover has put together a book with high quality illustrations (the whole reason for buying the book, after all) with vivid, saturated colors and clear detail at an affordable price. One can only imagine how expensive these lavishly illustrated volumes were a century ago!

A truly remarkable book in it's scope. Filled with documentiae of Egyptian Arabian horses and early Bedouin Arab tribe history.

Abundant information on the history, breeding, bloodlines, art, character, performance, etc, of the Asil Egyptian Arabian Horse - the most noblest and purest of bloodlines of all, in the equine world.

Followed by ABUNDANT full colour photos of select Egyptian Arabian horses worldwide. Volumes I, II and III are out of print. Volume IV may be out of print also, now that vol V has been released by the publishers.

This is a HEAVY book! Printed on heavy glossy paper, the editors and publishers spared no expense in showcasing this magnificent breed through literature, text and photographs.

A must have for every horselover and Arabian enthusiast.

The minute your hands touch this book, you will feel a sense of awe. Not only is it substantial, but filled with histories, full color and black and white photos and art, but it unfolds before you the kinship of the Arabian people with their family horses. The book is in English and German. This only adds to the unique qualities of the publication. There are even portraits of important Arabian horses with their bloodlines. I have spent hours pouring over it. You will find that it is hard to put down. I was thrilled to find several relatives of my own precious Arabian horses. This book should be considered a must for anyone who loves these special equines....a literary treasure superbly representing our treasured Arabian horses.

Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900) is largely forgotten today, remembered for his coauthoring of The Gilded Age with Mark Twain, if at all. However, if you have heard the axiom that, "Politics makes strange bed-fellows," then you have heard of Mr. Warner, for it comes from his remarkable book, My Summer in a Garden.

In this book, Mr. Warner reminisces about childhood in rural New England. With a charming sense of nostalgia, the author tells of a young boy's hopes and dreams, his hard work, his hard play and his easy loafing, his delicious triumphs and his shameful mishaps. Overall, I found this to be a wonderfully charming look at being young during a bygone day and age, and of being young even today. I loved this book and highly recommend it to you.

This book is a wonderful read; simple yet complex at the same time. It is an indepth look at exactly what it's like growing up as a young man, full of first experiances. His views of society are insightful yet subtle as they are interjected periodically in the middle of a story. I could'nt help but feel a strong connection with the author. It's like his experiances back then are the same we face today. A delightful book, and a must read for any young man. Get a hold of this book any way you can!

This book is by no means an exhaustive study and critique of dominant trends in the areas mentioned above. All the author does is kind of touch on each one of them: summarizing each theory and giving a brief list of pros and cons. But for those just curious in the main issues that drive the Middle Eastern realities, the book is absolutely recommended. Some of his critiques, such as his explanation of his opposition to the Satanic Verses or his explanantion of the nuances of Arab/Muslim opposition to the existence of Israel are top notch. He makes these observations in a background of a travelogue, so it makes his academic theories all the more interesting and exciting. Highly recommended for novices like me who have no clue and want to start in the shallow end.

This was a great start on a comparative study of the West vs. the East. The fact that both worlds are interlinked in some way. I liked how the author walked the readers through his journey and painted such a detailed picture. Look forward to more journeys in the future.

Any studying Middle East history or culture, particularly those at the college level, will find the weighty 560-page MIRAGE: POWER, POLITICS, AND THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF ARABIAN OIL to be a methodical and important survey of the discovery, development and use of Middle Eastern oil. From the history of discoveries and the reasons reserves in some countries went untapped for decades to the role of one New Zealander Frank Holmes in discovering and revealing these new sources, MIRAGE delves into the background and uses the author's original research from archives around the world in its in-depth revelation - which even includes maps, photos, and a 'who's who' of key people. An in-depth, essential pick for any collection solid in Middle Eastern studies and issues.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is written by an Australian international journalist now associated with the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University, Canberra. Thus Dr. Keating can be free of the political arguments currently going on in the US between the pro and anti Bush factions.

The title comes from the deliberate obscuring of the fact that the Arab areas of the Persion Gulf were virtual outposts of the British rule in India. This was not a happy situation for the people in the gulf and set the stage for the dramatic changes that were to come as the Americans came to the gulf and eventually superceeded the British interests.

At the end of World War I, when this books story begins, it was generally believed by the experts that there was no oil in Arabia. The book basically ends with President Roosevelt's statement in 1943 that 'I hereby find that the defense of Saudi Arabia is vital to the defence of the United States.'

In the twenty years between these two dates, there is a story of ambition, intrigue, folly, drama, conflict and even some comic interludes. None the less, this was the time that set the stage for the remainder of the century and for the future years. Here is the foundation for what is going on in that part of the gulf now.

The book is extensively researched, and written so well that the otherwise dull history is made very readable and interesting.

This book is the most thorough work ever done on Arabian Horses. I have bred Thoroughbreds for decades but never realized the majesty and history of the Arabian breed.

This book is very interesting to read. It's focus is on the Arabian Horse as it is bred and used by the Bedouin people. This book speaks of the Arabian Horses true courage, loyalty, and loving spitit, rather than viewing it as some sort of pasture decoration.

This book is a delight for young and old alike. I suggest you buy the hardback edition, because it's a book you will want to keep over the generations. Your grandchildren will thank you for it just as much as your children did. Pete Marlowe has a poet's gift for words, so much so that the illustrations--although admittedly charming and thoughtful--aren't strictly necessary to this eloquently told tale that combines a simplicity of spirit with a great warmth of heart.

This book proves once again that Mr. Marlowe is a truly talented writer and follows his wonderful first book with great success.I enjoyed the text very much and the illustrations by Mr. Bell interpret the story in a fantastic way that was entirely unexpected. I look forward to the author's next effort!

Penny Jordan spins a dramatic tale that's set in an exotic desert. It's intriguing, it's a good read.

Back cover says:

The searing attraction between Sheikh Xavier Al Agir and Mariella Sutton was instant and all consuming. When a storm left Mariella stranded at Xavier's desert home, passion soon took over..... It was a night she would never forget! But having always yearned for a child of her own, Mariella planned just one more night with the sheikh--to conceive his baby.

I could not put the book down.

This is a great Middle Eastern cook book that has served me well forten years. Thought I'd replace my copy but had a little sticker shockover the price.

Anyway the recipes are great, especially the mezzeor appetizers. I make the hummus and the baba ghanooj all the time(the pages are really stained there). END

I borrowed this book from a friend 4 years ago and copied two of the recipes There is one for Cous Cous which is excellent and easy to prepare and the sauce is wonderful. I had an opportunity to go to an authentic Morrocan restaurant and was surprised how much my Cous Cous tasted like theirs and I used his recipe and I have finally found the book after looking for so long

Five people must escape from the dungeons of Fazir, a female nomad, a heretic priest, a shapeshifter, a thief and a young noble. Together they must learn to trust each other as they flee, across the hot burning dunes of the Red Sands.
Funny, full of action and adventure, set in a Arabian Nights kind-of background, this could easily be used in a AD&D game. The cover, by Clyde Caldwell, is also a classic. I would suggest picking it up for a light read, maybe on a bus or in a train. Or just a rainy day.

I picked this up in used book store hoping that I would not be disappointed and I wasn't. It is every now and then that you come across a book like this -- fun, romantic, adventure, monsters etc...great reading for a rainy afternoon.