DOCUMENT RESUME ED 073 960 SO 005 278 AUTHCP Mansoor, Menahem TITLE Arab World. Political and DiplomaticHistory 1900-1967: A Chronological Study.A Descriptive Brochure. INSTITUTION National Cash Register Co., Washington,D. C. Microcard Editions SPONS AGENCY Institute of International Studies (DREW/OE), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 72 . CONTRACT OEC-0-8-000131-3544(014) NOTE 40p. AVAILABLE FROMNCR/Microcard EditiOns, 901 26th Street,N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037 (free) ERRS PRICE MF-$0.65 BC Not Available fromEDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Area Studies; *Diplomatic History; History;*Middle Eastern History; *Middle Eastern Studies;*Non Western Civilization; ProgramDescriptions IDENTIFIERS *Arab States ABSTRACT The brochure contains descriptiveintroductory material on the first of seven volumescovering the Arab world. Five volumes are devoted to a chronology ofevents throughout the Arab world (including Arab-Israel relations)from 1900 up to 1967. The last two volumes contain a keyword Indexto the events. The project contributes to the Middle Eastern Studiesand also serves as a model project to scholars and studentsconcerned with research of other world areas. The first half of thebrochure, arranged in five parts, includes: 1) a description of the projert background,problem, purpose, scope, organization, research and progress information; 2) informationon use of the computer to promotenew techniques for handling, restoring,and disseminating data concerning the Arab world; 3) useful dataon the Arab world; 4) abbreviations used in indices; and 5)acknowledgements. Over half of thepamphlet furnishes sample chronology and indexpages. (SJM) FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY political,andplortiOtiO: Wory 19001967: a-,chrOribitigioal study Political and Diplomatic. History of the Arab World, 190P-07: A Chronological Stddy, published in seven volumes, is the first part of a three part project covering the Arab world, 1900-67. Five of the seven volumes list events chronologically. The remaining two volumes are an index to the events. The chronology volumes contain brief accounts of internationally signifiCant events concerning the Arab world, whether occurring within or outside of Arab countries. Except for the early years, accounts are on a day-by-day basis. Due to the mass of material involved, a reduced-print format has been used in the chronologyeach 81/2" x 11" page contains four photographically reduced pages. Although reduced, these pages can be read without resorting to any magnifying device. The index (in two volumes) is a computer generated and computer typeset keyword index to the events in the chronology. It is not an index to the sources from wfich the accounts were drawn, but rather an index to the accounts as recorded in the chronology. Under each keyword are one or more entries. Each entry supplies two items of information: one is a brief reference to an event, i.e., a few words summarizing the account of the event as given in the chronology, and the other is the date on whichthe event occurred. Thus the user can first peruse the references under the topic or topics he has selected arid, if amplification of any reference is desired, he can then consult either the account in the chronology or contemporary accounts in newspapers, journals, government documents, and other primary material generated on or about the dates cited. The initial breakdown is temporal. Thirty-three separate indices using identical subject headings have been prepared; they cover periods varying from six months to twenty years. The dual objective of this arrangement is to present subject-oriented material in conveniently usable increments and to allow a subject-in-time as well as a purely subject approach to research. Political and Diplomatic History of the Arab World was developed _pursuant to a contract between the Institute of International Studies of the United States Office of Education and the University of Wisconsin. Other sources of support included the Harvard University Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Harvard Law School Library, and Harvard International Legal Studies, Hoover Institution, and the Department of State, External Research. Reprinted in this brochure is the introductory Material which appears in the first volume and samples from both the chronology and index. As noted in the opening paragraph, Political and Diplomatic History of the Arab World is the first pert of a three part project. Remaining to be published are: (1) the documents from which the accounts in the chronology were drawn; (2) a biographical reference work giving information about persons cited in the chronology. DR. MENAHEM MANSOOR is currently Professor_and Chairman.of the Department of Semitic Studies at the University-of Wisconsin, Madison. He holds B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degree.; in Serrdtic languages and has studied at the London University School of Oriental Studies, at King's College, London, and at TrinitY:College. Df.blin (Gold Medalist Member of the Academic Senate). Professor Mansoor was Research Fellow, Harvard University Center forMiddle.:Eastern Sttidies;=1961-52 and 1964-65. A chief interpreter and Assistant to the: Press Attache-(British Foreign Service) at the British Embassy In Israel frora_1949 to 1954, Professcii-MarisoOi is author of over 50 items in the field of Semitic StUdiek:For this project hi tiersonally-traireled in North Africa, the. Rabat, Beirtit;- Jerusaleniand::to Western Europe to collect materials from such' ark:hiVesas the Foreign Office, Chatham Haase, French, Dutch and GerMan Foreign Ministries, and international organizatiOns irr Geneva: In the United States, Professor Mansoor and his staff "'arried out extensive research at the Library of Congress,- the State Department, the National Archivei, Institute, the Dag Harrunaiskjold LibrarY at the United NitiOns, the Marv_ ard UniversitYLibrariei and at Hoover Institution. U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO DIJCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION OHIO INATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU CATION POSITION OR PO( ICY Political and Diplomatic History of the Arab World 1900-1967 "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPY RIGHTED MATERIAL BY MICROFICHE ONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE U S OFFICE OF EDUCATION.' FURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM REQUIRES PER MISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER" Political and DipkimaticHistory of the Arab World 1900-1967 A Chronological Study Menahem Mansoor The University of Wisconsirr Volume 1 1900-4 1972 -Microcard Editions Copyright © 1972 Mcriahem Mansoor Library of Congress card no. 72-184866 ISBN 0-910972-09-5 Published hy NCRiNficrocard Editions 901 26th Street, N.W., Washington, n.c. 20037 Preface It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to write the preface for this landmark undertaking, a work both timely and of continuing value to scholars, students, diplomats, and businessmen. Professor Mansoor's pioneering project is unique and clearly successful in several respects.His efforts have produced the single most comprehensive and useful collection of documentary and event data on the political history of any major yegion in the non-Western world. Not only has he identified, located, collected, and analyzed an enormous in of material, but he has indexed it thoroughly, making it quickly and conveniently accessible through especially designed computerized information storage and re- trieval techniques. The achievement is all the more remarkable when one takes into account the highly complex history of the Mid- dle East, the elusive nature of much of the documentation emanating from that region, and the formidable language barriers that pose special obstacles for most scholars concerned with the area. His efforts will resut in a more effective interdisciplinary approach than has previously been possible on problems and subjects which are often intrinsically interdisciplinary in nature. Not only wi Ithe availability of a vast amount of data coupled with an efficient retrieval system permit a more effective approach to much research, but the very existence of such resources will undoubtedly stimulatL new hypotheses and generate more broad-gauged and useful interdisciplinary studies.This is especially significant in a time when the Middle East is in the forefront of national and international concern. The archives and retrieval system Professor Mansoor has created have great potential for still another kind of progress, one relatively rare in academic scholarship. He has literally created the tools which will make possible increased scholarly productivity on a particularly important region of the world. Not only will those interested in the Arab world be able to locate data far more rapidly than ever before, but for the first time serious researchers will be able to devote the major portion of their effort to analysis rather than to the very time consuming and laborious task of information gathering. Reducing some of the fundamental problems of time and material to manageable proportions is particularly important for cross-national and cross-disciplinary researchers and projects. The savings ir research manpower that this project will make possible, both directly and through materials acquisition, are considerable indeed. While the contribution to Middle Eastern studies is great, the value of the project as a model to scholars and students of other world areas is equally important.