The result of twenty-five years of research with different tribal groups in the Arabian peninsula, this study focuses on ethnographic descriptions of Arab tribal societies in five regions of the peninsula, with comparative material from others. Having become aware of the depth in time of Arab tribal structures, the authors have developed a view of Arabic tribal discourse where 'tribe' is seen as essentially an identity that confers access to a social structure and its processes.

Our lives move along with ups and downs, and we cope with them the best we can. But underneath there is a hunger for something more. There are times of stress such as when a loved one dies, a job is lost, a child is on a dangerous path, a difficult situation goes on and on. There are many other stressors that we all encounter. This book offers quotations from ancient and modern authors and poems and reflections that give a thought or image that seeps through the cracks that the stresses ha...

The Lord of Stariel is dead. Long live the Lord of Stariel. Whoever that is.Everyone knows who the magical estate will choose for its next ruler. Or do they? Will it be the lord's eldest son, who he despised? His favourite nephew, with the strongest magical land-sense? His scandalous daughter, who ran away from home years ago to study illusion?Hetta knows it won't be her, and she's glad of it. Returning home for her father's funeral, all Hetta has to do is ...

Well-bred women should not be seen kissing their butlers. Even when the butler in question is secretly a fae prince.Wyn knows falling for Hetta Valstar is a bad idea. She's not only human but the new magically bonded ruler of Stariel Estate. If their relationship gets out, it'll cause a scandal that could ruin their attempts to sort out the estate's crumbling finances. Of course, it doesn't help that Stariel has decided it doesn't like him.But much more tha...

Marrying your fae prince shouldn't be this hard.Hetta's family now knows Wyn's true identity, but that doesn't mean they approve of their relationship. Princes are all very well, but Wyn's not human - though he's spent 10 years pretending to be.With gossip spreading like wildfire, Hetta and Wyn receive a royal summons. The queen of Prydein has heard the rumors of fae intruders, and she's not letting Wyn go until she's satisfied that he and his people aren't...

In this captivating collection of essays, renowned literary critic William Lyon Phelps delves into the minds and works of some of the most influential novelists of the modern era. From the psychological depths of Henry James to the social commentary of Edith Wharton, Phelps offers insightful analyses that illuminate the complexities of these literary giants. With his characteristic wit and erudition, Phelps explores the themes, characters, and writing styles that have shaped the landscape ...

'A stunning, clear-sighted history of ancient Egypt' Sunday TimesThe extraordinary history of Ancient Egyptian civilization - from its earliest origins to the creation of its greatest monument - from specialist John RomerThis exceptional book draws on a lifetime of research and thought to recreate the previously untold story of how a civilization which began with handfuls of semi-itinerant fishermen settled, spread...

Discover how Israel transformed from a parched land into a water superpower, offering a blueprint for a world facing an imminent water crisis.As every day brings urgent reports of growing water shortages around the world, there is no time to lose in the search for solutions. The U.S. government predicts that forty of our fifty states-and 60 percent of the earth's land surface-will soon face alarming gaps between available water and the growing demand for it. Withou...

A masterpiece of archaeological and historical writing, 'The Making of the Middle Sea' is extensively illustrated and ranges across disciplines, subject matter and chronology from early humans to the rise of civilizations - Egyptian, Minoan, Mycenaean, Phoenician, Etruscan, early Greek and pan-Mediterranean. It is the only up-to-date, full, interpretive synthesis on the rise of the Mediterranean world from its beginnings to the threshold of Classical times. The author is Professor of Medit...

No man could hope to draw together the various fields from which the materials of this book are derived if he were a scholar in any one of them. No one could feel less scholarly than I do. This becomes particularly evident when the subject of Arabic transliteration arises, as it always does in forewords to books on the Middle East. I have before me the handiwork of Hitti, Gibb, and Calverley, three men whose erudition and integrity are of the highest order, and yet I cannot find complete a...

The Sumerian World explores the archaeology, history and art of southern Mesopotamia and its relationships with its neighbours from c.3,000 - 2,000BC. Including material hitherto unpublished from recent excavations, the articles are organised thematically using evidence from archaeology, texts and the natural sciences. This broad treatment will also make the volume of interest to students looking for comparative data in allied subjects such as ancient literature and early religion...

A boom in the production and export of cotton made Iran the richest region of the Islamic caliphate in the ninth and tenth centuries. Yet in the eleventh century, Iran's impressive agricultural economy entered a steep decline, bringing the country's primacy to an end.Richard W. Bulliet advances several provocative theses to explain these hitherto unrecognized historical events. According to Bulliet, the boom in cotton production directly paralleled the spread of Islam, and Iran's a...