Arabia and the Arabs, From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam, 2001, 336 p., 47 photos n.b., rel. -

Long before Muhammed preached the religion of Islam, the inhabitants of his native Arabia had played an important role in world history as both merchants and warriors. This book provides the only up-to-date, one-volume survey of the region and its peoples, from prehistory to the coming of Islam. Using a wide range of sources - inscriptions, poetry, histories, and archaeological evidence - Robert Hoyland explores the main cultural areas of Arabia, from ancient Sheba in the south, to the deserts and oases of the north. He then examines the major themes of: the economy, society, religion, art, architecture and artefacts, language and literature, Arabhood and Arabisation.