Voices of Oman A Different Mid-East Story

Voices of Oman is a collection of eyewitness accounts of the most significant event of modern Omani history, the Omani Renaissance of 1970, which transformed a tent-in-the-desert culture into a modern urban state. The stories told in the 15 interviews contained in this work show the human dimension of a large historical change. Whatever cultural ground the reader may or may not share with these individuals, these stories show in poignant detail how we are all alike and how we are all different. History is the glue that holds a culture together, and Oman's past is filled with periods of glorious achievement that contribute to the contemporary Omani's sense of continuity and cultural identity. In the twentieth century the definition of history expanded to include, not just the exploits of the famous and powerful but also the stories of "everyday" people. This large group, the overwhelming majority of any culture, in the past had no voice in the historical narrative. Voices of Oman draws from a diverse cross-section of society to tell the story of the Omani Renaissance in the words of those who lived the transition.