Bateson (education, Harvard U.) produced the reference for the Center for Applied Linguistics as part of a series on African and Asian languages. It outlines the structure of the language, the history of classical Arabic, and the linguistic practice of the Arabs. Students in class or on the ground have found it useful over the decades, as have linguists wanting a general description of the language. A supplemental bibliography provides recent references. There is no index. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)