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The Arab Revival
The Arab Revival by Francesco Gabrieli is a comprehensive exploration of the cultural, political, and intellectual resurgence that took place in the Arab world during the 19th and 20th centuries. The book traces the origins of this movement to the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of European colonialism in the region, which spurred a renewed interest in Arabic language, literature, and history.Gabrieli examines the key figures and movements that contributed to the Arab Revival, including the Nahda (Arab Renaissance) movement, which sought to modernize Arab society and culture, and the Islamic modernist movement, which sought to reconcile traditional Islamic values with modernity. He also explores the impact of colonialism on the Arab world, as well as the rise of nationalism and the struggle for independence.Throughout the book, Gabrieli emphasizes the importance of the Arab Revival in shaping the modern Arab world, and its ongoing relevance in the face of contemporary challenges. The Arab Revival is a must-read for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Arab world, as well as the broader themes of cultural and intellectual revival.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
180 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2007
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December 10, 2019
What a fun discovery! I was looking for books on Tunisia at my local used book store and came up short. I noticed that this one had a chapter on the Maghreb so I decided to give it a whirl. It's a book of staggering arrogance, chock full of the kinds of Orientalism that Edward Said used to complain about. This isn't all that surprising when you consider the fact that the book was written in 1961.
Francesco Gabrieli, the author, was writing about history that he lived through. As an Arab language expert and historian he has very clear, sometimes hilarious, and often racist views of the Arab World and the developments he had seen. He was born in 1901, and he must have had memories of Italian attempts to build African Empire. Some of his views must have been quite progressive at the time, but many of them, of course, are quite offensive to the modern eye. He seems torn on the whole topic of Imperialism, deeply rooted in the conviction that European civilization is superior, but very conscious that its promises to aid Arab populations were always marred by betrayal and exploitation. It's an interesting phase in between imperial boosterism and the darker view of of European exploitation we have now.
The ambition of the thing is quite arrogant as well. In just 170 pages Gabrieli attempts to take on the entire political history of the Arab world, in brief from Muhammad down to the Ottomans, and in detail from the 19th century on. What's staggering is that he does a pretty good job. It's like reading a book from your crotchety racist uncle, if your crotchety racist uncle had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Arab world. If you don't get too triggered by archaic views, it's a fascinating book.
One of the most interesting bits is seeing how certain figures and issues were perceived back in 1961. All of this is long before Israel's great victor against the Arabs in 1967, the rise of Saddam Hussein, 9-11 and everything else. He gets a lot wrong, and he has some atrocious views, but it's fascinating how much Gabrieli gets right about the turmoil to come. Oh, and he also really, really hates Nasser.
Francesco Gabrieli, the author, was writing about history that he lived through. As an Arab language expert and historian he has very clear, sometimes hilarious, and often racist views of the Arab World and the developments he had seen. He was born in 1901, and he must have had memories of Italian attempts to build African Empire. Some of his views must have been quite progressive at the time, but many of them, of course, are quite offensive to the modern eye. He seems torn on the whole topic of Imperialism, deeply rooted in the conviction that European civilization is superior, but very conscious that its promises to aid Arab populations were always marred by betrayal and exploitation. It's an interesting phase in between imperial boosterism and the darker view of of European exploitation we have now.
The ambition of the thing is quite arrogant as well. In just 170 pages Gabrieli attempts to take on the entire political history of the Arab world, in brief from Muhammad down to the Ottomans, and in detail from the 19th century on. What's staggering is that he does a pretty good job. It's like reading a book from your crotchety racist uncle, if your crotchety racist uncle had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Arab world. If you don't get too triggered by archaic views, it's a fascinating book.
One of the most interesting bits is seeing how certain figures and issues were perceived back in 1961. All of this is long before Israel's great victor against the Arabs in 1967, the rise of Saddam Hussein, 9-11 and everything else. He gets a lot wrong, and he has some atrocious views, but it's fascinating how much Gabrieli gets right about the turmoil to come. Oh, and he also really, really hates Nasser.
Displaying 1 of 1 review