The Three Cultures of the Mediterranean Foundation and Casa Árabe are organizing the presentation of the latest work by the historian, professor, Arabist and lawyer specializing in international law, John McHugo. Published by Turner, “A Brief History of the Arabs” (“Una breve historia de los árabes”) is a journey through the politics, society and culture of the Arabs from the days of the Roman Empire to the present. Speaking with John McHugo will be Emilio González-Ferrín, an Arabist and professor of Arab and Islamic Thought from the University of Seville. The work has been revised and updated by the author specifically for this edition in Spanish.
 
“A Brief History of the Arabs”
In the work, its author reveals how the Arab world became what it is today, why change was inevitable and what we can expect after the Arab Spring. Concise, brief, useful and practical, this story can also be used as a guide to the region’s culture and politics.
 
John McHugo (London, United Kingdom, 1951) is an Arabist and a lawyer who specializes in international law. He was a finalist for the Salon Transmission Prize of 2014 and has written for History Today, The World Today and the BBC News website. He is a member of the executive committee of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, presides over the Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine and forms part of the governing board of the British-Egyptian Society. He currently lives in London.
 
Emilio González-Ferrín (Ciudad Real, 1965). An Arabist and Islamologist, he combines his work in university classes with the writing of essays, which has led him to earn the international Jovellanos Essay Award, as well as others. He has been the scientific director of the Al-Andalus Chair at the Three Cultures Foundation since its beginnings, and in 2012 he published his first novel belonging to the “Cairo Trilogy,” in which he brings up a particular sort of European-Arab dialogue.