The 'Ice Scout' for Khaled Atmeh... Documenting Kuwait's History
The Icebreaker in the Journey of Documenting Kuwaiti History
The new book by author Khaled Taame, published by Atlal Publishing House, examines the process of documenting Kuwaiti history, from the earliest beginnings of writing in the late 19th century to the modern era, and the stages and transformations that this journey witnessed in historical writing.
In the book’s preface, Taame wrote: “Kuwaiti history has received a substantial and ample share of written documentation, since its recording began in the late 19th century AD, up to where we stand today in the 21st century AD. However, the details of documenting this history have been shrouded in some ambiguity, while others have been overtaken by oblivion. As a result, some people believe that documentation began in the 20th century AD, without distinguishing the truth regarding the initial stage.”
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The book comprises three main chapters, preceded by a preface titled “Kuwaiti History Between Narratives and Documentaries.” The first chapter, titled “Documenting Kuwaiti History: Stages and Methods,” explores the beginnings of written documentation of Kuwaiti history, pausing at several key milestones. These include the biographies of Bin Sand, crafted by Sabayk al-Asjad, and the article by Al-Karmali, which marked the beginning of interrogating Kuwaiti history, alongside the Kuwaiti experience in authoring historical books.
The book also covers “Al-Rashid’s History,” the first and only specialized work; “Bin Issa’s Pages,” which he presented to Kuwait; and “Al-Shamlan: The Third of That Era.” Furthermore, it discusses the emergence of Arabic books dedicated to documenting Kuwaiti histories, the launch of the “National Project for Documenting Kuwaiti History,” and culminates in the “Documentary Evolution of Kuwaiti History.”
The second chapter, titled “Kuwaiti History Books and Their Historians Across Three Centuries AD,” catalogs “titles of Kuwaiti history books and their authors across three centuries,” alongside providing “biographical sketches of the historians who authored Kuwaiti history books.” Taame concludes his book with the third chapter, “Methodologies of Kuwaiti History Across Different Epochs,” which discusses “the approach of Kuwaiti history books between construction and formation,” then examines “Kuwaiti history books between data and challenges,” before reaching the conclusion, key references, and the author’s biography.
