Thackston's textbook is the most recent addition to Arabic instructional materials. It is perhaps the friendliest Western grammar of Arabic. Its grammatical explanations are lucid and concise, yet they provide a complete, adequate description of a basic grammar of Arabic. The book comprises a preface, a chapter on preliminary matters, 40 lessons, supplementary readings from the Koran (Qur'an ? the holy book of Muslims) and hadith literature (traditions of the prophet Muhammad), 10 appendixes, English-Arabic and Arabic-English glossaries, an index of verb and derivational patterns (56 of them), and a general index. All the lessons have one consistent design: Each one is subdivided into sections and subsections. The explanations are accompanied by numerous examples. Each lesson concludes with a vocabulary list and two types of exercises: grammatical manipulation (providing case and mood endings) and translation.

As a textbook, this work is particularly useful in programs where a reading proficiency of the Koran and hadith is desirable within a relatively short period of time, given that the students already have a reasonable grasp of Arabic structures and vocabulary. Overall, it is a very well designed book of basic grammar that can serve as a useful supplement for intermediate and advanced students of Arabic in various programs.

--Mahdi Alosh, Modern Language Journal