Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book
Review: .... [This] book presents very
little in the way of Arabic text with Arabic vowels. In all the tables
you get unvocalized Arabic accompanied by transliteration which tells
you the vowels and pronunciation. This may annoy those who would like
to have experience with the actual text of the Koran which is written
with Arabic letters and Arabic vowels.I would like to respond to
the review of the sincere Muslim below who found the technical
terminology to be a bit confusing. As one who is experienced with
classical languages and introductory grammars in general, the language
is no more than is necessary to truly understand the structure of the
language. If a prospective student of Arabic is not intimidated by the
prospect of learning what might be the most difficult language of the
world, then he should not let himself be dissuaded by Thackston's
terminology. Arabic is a very difficult language. Part of that
difficulty is that it is difficult to describe. Thackston is not
writing this book for those who want enough Arabic to survive on the
streets of Bahrain. He is writing it for those who want to learn the
subtle nuances of meaning in the Arabic so that they can better
understand an enigmatic text in which they are quite likely looking
for the secret of all being. If you truly want to understand Arabic
well enough to open the fine nuances of the Qur'an, then you will have
to be able to understand the finer points of grammar. In fact,
Thackston gives only a rough overview of the grammar of the Koran,
focussing mainly on familiarizing a new student with the basic
building blocks of the language, and relative to other grammars that I
have seen, his technical terminology is quite light. He does want to
equip the new student of Qur'anic Arabic with the understanding that
he will need in order to continue advanced studies later. Any less
from Thackston would be doing the student a disservice.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: .... [This] book presents verylittle in the way of Arabic text with Arabic vowels. In all the tablesyou get unvocalized Arabic accompanied by transliteration which tellsyou the vowels and pronunciation. This may annoy those who would liketo have experience with the actual text of the Koran which is writtenwith Arabic letters and Arabic vowels.I would like to respond tothe review of the sincere Muslim below who found the technicalterminology to be a bit confusing. As one who is experienced withclassical languages and introductory grammars in general, the languageis no more than is necessary to truly understand the structure of thelanguage. If a prospective student of Arabic is not intimidated by theprospect of learning what might be the most difficult language of theworld, then he should not let himself be dissuaded by Thackston'sterminology. Arabic is a very difficult language. Part of thatdifficulty is that it is difficult to describe. Thackston is notwriting this book for those who want enough Arabic to survive on thestreets of Bahrain. He is writing it for those who want to learn thesubtle nuances of meaning in the Arabic so that they can betterunderstand an enigmatic text in which they are quite likely lookingfor the secret of all being. If you truly want to understand Arabicwell enough to open the fine nuances of the Qur'an, then you will haveto be able to understand the finer points of grammar. In fact,Thackston gives only a rough overview of the grammar of the Koran,focussing mainly on familiarizing a new student with the basicbuilding blocks of the language, and relative to other grammars that Ihave seen, his technical terminology is quite light. He does want toequip the new student of Qur'anic Arabic with the understanding thathe will need in order to continue advanced studies later. Any lessfrom Thackston would be doing the student a disservice.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for those learning on their own
Review: An excellent introduction to classical (Koranic) Arabic. It consists of an introduction to the sounds and script, and is followed by 40 lessons.The format is very similar to the textbooks of Lambdin and Huehnergard: each lesson introduces several grammatical points, and these are followed by vocabulary, readings, and exercises. Arabic script is used throughout, but the vocabulary and grammatical explanations are transliterated into Roman letters, as well. 2 points to mention ... I found the section on the Arabic script to be short of practice material. I'd recommend "Alif Baa", published by Georgetown University Press, as an excellent introduction to Arabic sounds and script. Be sure to get the 4 tapes that accompany the workbook. This will allow you to concentrate on the grammar; otherwise, the lessons can be a tedious exercise in decoding until the script becomes more familiar. Second point: I'd get the "Key to the Exercises"; it contains the answers to both the English-to-Arabic, and Arabic-to-English exercises given in the main text. All in all, a very user-friendly introduction to a fascinating language and culture.
Rating:
Summary: Great for those learning on their own
Review: An excellent introduction to classical (Koranic) Arabic. It consists of an introduction to the sounds and script, and is followed by 40 lessons. The format is very similar to the textbooks of Lambdin and Huehnergard: each lesson introduces several grammatical points, and these are followed by vocabulary, readings, and exercises. Arabic script is used throughout, but the vocabulary and grammatical explanations are transliterated into Roman letters, as well. 2 points to mention ... I found the section on the Arabic script to be short of practice material. I'd recommend "Alif Baa", published by Georgetown University Press, as an excellent introduction to Arabic sounds and script. Be sure to get the 4 tapes that accompany the workbook. This will allow you to concentrate on the grammar; otherwise, the lessons can be a tedious exercise in decoding until the script becomes more familiar. Second point: I'd get the "Key to the Exercises"; it contains the answers to both the English-to-Arabic, and Arabic-to-English exercises given in the main text. All in all, a very user-friendly introduction to a fascinating language and culture.
Rating:
Summary: It is a great grammer for the student on their own!
Review: I am an American muslim who is using this book to help me understand Qur'aanic Arabic in its purest form. I recommend only those who are willing to apply themselves and those with a good background in languages to buy this. The reason being is that the author uses many linguistic terms, which may intimidate or confuse the reader. The only negative thing about this book is that it contains no answers to the exercises. Otherwise, it has many bonuses, especially for the muslim reader. He/she will be able to read the Arabic from 'ahadiith with ease. It is a two-fold bonus. The learner not only learns how to read Arabic without vocalization, but is understanding what he/she is reading also. To top it off, that reader whether they be muslim or not, will enjoy reading Qur'aan Kariim ( kariim meaning Holy) in Arabic and understanding the true meaning without incorrect translation. Hats off to the author who compiled this book because I am very picky when it comes to a person who is not a native speaker of that language attempting to write about that language.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best Arabic books currently availible
Review: If you are sure you want to learn Arabic and are ready to invest lots of time and effort this book is for you and I can certainly say after looking around and trying numerous books that this is probably the best availible.
Rating:
Summary: From a non-arabic speaking bi-lingual customer
Review: Note: My expertise is in romance languages (French/Spanish). This book provides a concise grammar/translation approach to learning arabic. Learners who desire to learn arabic as it may be spoken on the streets of various nations may want to look elsewhere. However, because of the historical circumstances according to which arabic has become such a vastly used language, starting with classical/Koranic arabic is probably the best place to begin the trek. This book is clear, concise, and well organized in a manner that speakes to the cognitive structures that are challenged in the mind of the english speaker. Though by the end of the book, no more than (by my count) 500 words are in the learner's vocabulary, the grammatical groundwork is invaluable, making later study immensely easier (no "relearning" will be needed). Perfect for the person wanting to "take the long road" to learning arabic. Not perfect for someone who wants to find a bathroom.
Rating:
Summary: Already know a Semitic language?
Review: This book is PERFECT if you already know a Semitic language such as Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Samaritan, Akkadian... YOU ALREADY KNOW 80% OF KORANIC GRAMMAR, and about 30% of the roots. You need to focus on the new material. Most Arabic textbooks ease students into Arabic grammar by distributing basic forms across several chapters--i.e. 2nd person pronominal suffixes in week 5, 3rd person in week 7. This can be very tedious if you already know a semitic language. In contrast, Thackston is organized like a reference grammar: all enclitic pronouns in a single chapter, all reflexive verbs at once... But unlike a reference grammar, every chapter also includes readings and exercises that focus on core vocabulary and grammar. Also, in contrast to reference grammars, Thackston contains no dissertations on hapax legomena or syntactical exotica. :-) Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Intro to Qur'anic Arabic
Review: This book is well organized and the lessons build on themselves in a logical manner. It has been a great help for me to learn the language of the Qur'an. The book even teaches you how to read unvocalized writing, which I always thought intimidating. Don't forget to also order the key to the excercises (sold separately). My only complaint is that I wasn't aware the key to the exercises wasn't included when I bought the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Intro to Qur'anic Arabic
Review: This book is well organized and the lessons build on themselves in a logical manner. It has been a great help for me to learn the language of the Qur'an. The book even teaches you how to read unvocalized writing, which I always thought intimidating. Don't forget to also order the key to the excercises (sold separately). My only complaint is that I wasn't aware the key to the exercises wasn't included when I bought the book.
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