A Short History of the Gibb Memorial Trust and its Trustees

This multi-authored volume presents an unparalleled account of the advance of Middle Eastern studies in twentieth-century Britain by way of a history of the Gibb Memorial Trust. The committee’s trustees have been scholars of Arabic, Persian or Turkish of the first rank and their careers and contributions to the publication programme of the Trust are sketched by current scholars who are of a similar eminence. Taken as a whole the story of the Gibb Memorial Trust is one of stupendous erudition, energy, scholarly rancour and eccentricity. -- Robert Irwin, London University
Celebrating the major highlights in the lives, times and achievements of some of the luminaries of the highly respected Gibb Memorial Trust, this truly delightful book is penned with empathy, sensitivity and, in a few cases, the tantalizing comment that piques the reader’s interest in the complex relationships and ‘secret’ pursuits of those involved. The book further imparts a sense of history of 'Oriental Studies' and, for the savvy reader, hints at how traditions of transmission and chains of patronage work in an academic setting going back more than a century ago. -- Yasir Suleiman, CBE, University of Cambridge