Modern Arab Historiography: Historical Discourse and the Nation-State

The study of Arab historiography and the emergence of the Arab nation-state as an object of historical treatment is a matter of considerable current interest. Despite its importance, no academic work has so far dealt with this subject as a major preoccupation of Arab historians and intellectuals. This book discusses the development of modern Arab historiography and its study of the nation-state in the 19th century, and analyses the work of three contemporary Arab historians from Egypt, the Lebanon and Morocco. An important and highly readable account, it reaffirms the importance of historiography and proposes a revision of the manner in which modern Arab thought has hitherto been classified and interpreted.

Youssef M. Choueiri is Reader in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter.