{"product_id":"rise-of-the-arabic-book-9780674987814","title":"Rise of the Arabic Book","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe little-known story of the sophisticated and vibrant Arabic book culture that flourished during the Middle Ages.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDuring the thirteenth century, Europe's largest library owned fewer than 2,000 volumes. Libraries in the Arab world at the time had exponentially larger collections. Five libraries in Baghdad alone held between 200,000 and 1,000,000 books each, including multiple copies of standard works so that their many patrons could enjoy simultaneous access. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHow did the Arabic codex become so popular during the Middle Ages, even as the well-established form languished in Europe? Beatrice Gruendler's \u003ci\u003eThe Rise of the Arabic Book\u003c\/i\u003e answers this question through in-depth stories of bookmakers and book collectors, stationers and librarians, scholars and poets of the ninth century. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe history of the book has been written with an outsize focus on Europe. The role books played in shaping the great literary cultures of the world beyond the West has been less known--until now. An internationally renowned expert in classical Arabic literature, Gruendler corrects this oversight and takes us into the rich literary milieu of early Arabic letters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGruendler, Beatrice:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Beatrice Gruendler is a recipient of the Leibniz Prize and the author and translator of numerous books, including \u003ci\u003eMedieval Arabic Praise Poetry.\u003c\/i\u003e The former President of the American Oriental Society, she is Professor of Arabic at Freie Universität Berlin.","brand":"Harvard University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50859841159442,"sku":"9780674987814","price":46.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e799b3d7-4b8e-4c8e-bba8-fdfdf172a4fd.jpg?v=1737564274","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/rise-of-the-arabic-book-9780674987814","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}