Books
First published in 2013, a new, updated edition came out in 2023. It provides a history of the Arab world from the time of the Roman Empire and the Prophet Muhammad onwards, and shows the state that world was in immediately prior to that fateful day in October 2023.
Particular attention is paid to the interaction of the Arab world with the West during the last two hundred years, including such key issues as Palestine, Iraq and the growth of politics based on Islam. It covers not just the reaction to the age of imperialism in the Arab world but explains how that age was succeeded by a world of military dictators and ruling families which would be shaken to its foundations by the revolutions of 2011.
'A well-written, original and stimulating introduction to the Arab world' - Gilbert Achcar, author of The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives
'A sympathetic, methodical distillation of Arab history that tries to get at the roots of the current East-West dysfunction.' Kirkus
‘A lucid and highly readable history of the Arab peoples up to the present day. John McHugo has managed to show, with compassion, a good deal of humour and unerring historical judgment, the power of the ideas and the forces that have shaped what we now think of as the Arab world. In doing so, McHugo has provided a way of understanding this complex and ongoing story that will enlighten all who read it.’ Charles Tripp, author of The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle East
‘This is a concise historical survey of Arab history from the early Islamic period to our day, including Western-Arab and Western-Muslim encounters ... A well-written, original and stimulating introduction to the Arab world.’ Gilbert Achcar, author of The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives
‘This concise, brilliant and erudite book is the product of wide reading, hard thinking and years of direct experience of the Middle East. The author, an international lawyer and Arabist, has managed to throw fresh light on 1,400 years of Arab history from the Prophet Muhammad to the Arab Spring. There are lively and informative insights on almost every page.’ Patrick Seale, author of Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East
‘Timely … McHugo succeeds in producing a clear and elegant of the sweep of Arab history from the birth of Muhammad to the military coup that overthrew the government of Egyptian president Muhammad Morsi. ... The value of McHugo's book is enhanced by the richness of its references and fullness of its bibliography.’ Susannah Tarbush, The Tanjara
‘Thrilling and poignant, woven with a layered texture of knowledge and empathy that deftly stitches familiar figures into the narrative in a fresh way.’ David Gardner, International Affairs Editor, Financial Times
‘Highly readable … Ideal for novices, it is also a useful and exciting read for those who have read much about the area but never had the whole story summed up in a single volume.’ Jordan Times
'[An] elegant work of history. It is an introductory history for newcomers to the field, but it still manages to take up some of the most significant debates without making them banal. This combination makes this book one of the more recommendable introductions to Arab history.' Journal of Peace Research
‘… a valuable and rewarding work … highly recommended’ Bulletin of the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia
Awards
Choice Outstanding Academic Title
Updated to 2017, John's second book tells the story of Syria from the late nineteenth century until the civil war. It takes the reader through Syria's struggle for independence, the fragility of its democracy, and the chaos that led to the iron dictatorship of Hafez Al Assad which he passed on to his maladroit son, Bashar.
The book shows that while there was nothing inevitable about the descent into the carnage and destruction of the civil war, the factors that led to it existed in plain sight for all to see. This is the book to read if you want to understand why and how Syria's tragedy happened.
‘a real insight into the political fragility that underpins much of what caused the current civil war … Remarkably prescient’ - Sunday Herald
'Scholarly but accessible and of much interest to those with an eye on geopolitical matters.' Kirkus
‘Enlightening’ Robert Fisk, Independent
‘A most welcome addition to the growing body of literature on Syria’ David W. Lesch, author of Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad
‘An engagingly written primer that is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the roots of that country’s ongoing agony. His last chapter, in which he dissects sectarianism in Syria and the possible outcomes of the civil war should be required reading for all who mistakenly believe that tribalism and primordial hatreds are the key drivers of Middle Eastern politics.’ James L. Gelvin, author of The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know
‘[A] very timely modern history of Syria … McHugo provides the reader with a high level of sound analysis … The book is written both with academic scrutiny and with the empathy of an individual who cares greatly for his area of study’ Journal of Peace Research
‘McHugo uncovers uncanny parallels between the pacification strategies of the French in the 1920s and the Bashar al-Assad regime today, exposing the continuous role of violence in the region’s (flawed) state formation.’ Raymond Hinnebusch, Centre for Syrian Studies, University of St Andrews
‘A fluent introduction to Syria’s recent past, this book provides the backstory to the country’s collapse into brutal civil conflict’ Andrew Arsan, St John’s College, University of Cambridge
‘A fascinating and timely study, admirably written with original vision … a pleasure to read for both experts and a wider audience’ Nikolaos van Dam, author of The Struggle for Power in Syria
'A work of great ambition … Should be recommended reading for undergraduates, policy-makers and interested members of the public who wish to learn how Syria’s different communities are shaping the current civil war and are likely to be shaped by it.’ International Affairs
'Anyone with any interest in Middle Eastern history and politics must read Syria. There was a need for an accessible guide to the past century of history, which this admirably provides.' Geographical Magazine
Sunnis and Shi'is have much more in common than divides them, even though the split between the two sects can be traced back to events that happened in the final days of the life of the Prophet Muhammad and immediately after his death.
A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi'is shows how there was never an inevitability that the fault line between the sects would harden into sectarian strife.
It is really only since the 1970s that the differences between Sunnis and Shi'is have become important on the international stage. This has not been because of a transformation "rooted in conflicts that date back millenia", as Barack Obama implied in 2016, but because of the unscrupulous exploitation of sectarian differences for political purposes. Read this book to understand what happened.
'An important corrective'- Times Literary Supplement
‘An enriching and valuable read.’ His Royal Highness, Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan
‘An important corrective … provides the reader not just with all the historical background he or she could want, in an accessible and comprehensible fashion, but also employs this sound knowledge to a clear-headed appraisal of the modern Middle East.’ Times Literary Supplement
‘It is no mean feat to cover over 1400 years of history ... Masterful and fascinating’ Jordan Times
‘In lucid and accessible prose, John McHugo shows that there is nothing inevitable about the so-called Sunni-Shi’i divide.’ Madawi Al-Rasheed, author of A History of Saudi Arabia
‘John McHugo takes us through the Sunni-Shi‘i divide over 1400 years of Islamic history with good judgement in balancing the various accounts, and a great clarity of expression.’ Moojan Momen, author of Shi‘i Islam: A Beginner’s Guide
‘Excellent … McHugo is a lucid interpreter of complex events.’ Law Society Gazette
‘[Provides] students and non-specialists with one clear account of the development of Muslim sectarian identities. McHugo [provides] an in-depth account of the diversity within medieval Islamic identities and how these identities have become politicized in the modern era. … Impressive … [This] is clearly written in accessible language with a thorough index and glossary of terms.’ Christine D. Baker, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, International Journal of Middle East Studies