Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean in Ancient and in Early Medieval Times.

Princeton: Princeton University Press,, 1951. First edition, first printing, of Hourani's seminal study, his first work and yet to be superseded in the field, remaining a key text in the historiography of the maritime history of the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf. Maritime heritage remains central to national identity in Gulf societies, and this title offers a highly readable general account, useful to the lay reader and historian alike. George Fadlo Hourani (1913-1984) was an Anglo-Lebanese historian and classicist, who became an authority on Islamic thought and philosophy. His brother, Albert Hourani, was also a distinguished historian, author of the popular and influential 1991 work A History of the Arab Peoples. Octavo. Original grey cloth, lettered in silver on dark green ground. With dust jacket. 4 plates of photographic illustrations, with illustrations and maps to the text. Ownership inscription to front free endpaper. A very good copy indeed, spine ends slightly bumped, extremities rubbed, in a worn dust jacket, unclipped, loss to spine ends, corners chipped, spine sunned and with closed tear of 40 mm, front panel still bright and presenting well, a good example.