As the title suggests, Kaplan is more interested in personalities than
in secret history. He reports the experiences of first the missionaries and
then the diplomats, from the beginning of the century to the Gulf War, as
they dedicate their lives to understanding Arab culture. The missionaries
were motivated by religion, and the diplomats by a romantic, Ivy-League
appreciation of things foreign that sometimes captivates those with the
resources to be different. It all adds up to "a diverse and colorful cast
of characters." It's more interesting than it sounds, if only because in
America we are overexposed to the saga of small-but-mighty Israel, and find
it refreshing to meet these Arabists as a sort of necessary counterweight.
ISBN 0-02-916785-X
Extract the names from this source