use strict;
use warnings;

use XML::Simple;

use Data::Dumper;

my $xml = <<'HERE';
<ContentItem>
<TextItem>
<TextItemType>03</TextItemType>
<FirstPageNumber>29</FirstPageNumber>
<LastPageNumber>56</LastPageNumber>
<NumberOfPages>28</NumberOfPages>
</TextItem>
<ComponentTypeName>Chapter</ComponentTypeName>
<DistinctiveTitle>The emergence of an Islamic</DistinctiveTitle>
</ContentItem>
<ContentItem>
<TextItem>
<TextItemType>03</TextItemType>
<FirstPageNumber>29</FirstPageNumber>
<LastPageNumber>34</LastPageNumber>
<NumberOfPages>6</NumberOfPages>
</TextItem>
<ComponentTypeName>Chapter</ComponentTypeName>
<DistinctiveTitle>The Arab Conquests</DistinctiveTitle>
</ContentItem>
HERE

my $ref = XMLin( $xml, ForceArray => 1 );

print Dumper $ref;