Brünnow's 1895 Arabische Chrestomathie au Prosaschriftestellern, later substantially enlarged and refined by Fischer, has long been a classic textbook for introducing Classical Arabic literature, even to non-German speakers. The seventh edition appeared in 1988, and the German version of this updated version has already hit the streets. Edzard and Bjørsnøs accompany the text excerpts with grammatical and lexical commentaries, supplemented where necessary by notes pointing to historical, cultural, and religious background matters. These comments and notes are directed to students in their third semester or later of Arabic, rather than to advanced specialists. A 100-page glossary precedes the texts. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)