Brockelmann's History of the Arabic Written Tradition offers bio-bibliographic information about works written in Arabic and their authors, with an emphasis on manuscripts from the classical period. This originally multivolume reference work is divided in chronologically organized sections, which are subdivided by literary genre. Individual entries typically consist of a biographical section and a list of the author's works in manuscript and print, with references to secondary literature. The "Brockelmann," now also available in English, is an indispensable research tool for anyone working on the Islamic world in general and the Middle East in particular.