Middle Eastern History

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  1. Classical Arabic Philosophy

    Translated with Introduction, Notes, and Glossary by Jon McGinnis & David C. Reisman

    "This book will make a major impact on the study, and especially the teaching, of Arabic philosophy.  A major difficulty with this field has been the lack of any adequate textbook of sources. . . . Reisman and McGinnis not only provide here a rich selection of texts that could be the basis for even a full-year course on Arabic thought, but also manage to translate several important works for the first time; they also include some standards that would probably be missed were they not here.  It will no doubt become the standard anthology used in courses on Arabic philosophy, and I will use it this way myself.  The team of McGinnis and Reisman is an ideal one. . . All in all, this project is to be greeted with immense enthusiasm."
         —Peter Adamson, King's College London

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  2. Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World

    James E. Lindsay

    "Lindsay gives an excellent overview of the medieval Islamic world.  Intended for an audience with little or no background on this topic, the book offers a thorough introduction to the beginnings of Islam, its history up to the year 1300, and material on a wide range of other topics, e.g., warfare, social practices, entertainment, and geography. . . . Numerous maps, photographs, and illustrations are spread throughout the text. . . . This book will be very valuable to history students and anyone interested in learning about the faith and practices of Muslims.  Highly recommended."
         —Choice

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  3. Daily Life in the Mongol Empire

    George Lane

    “[A] general history book that uses primary source material throughout. It introduces students to the importance of primary sources and stresses how these early texts provide the evidence and foundations for all the words, ideas, and thoughts that make up traditional history books. The excellent biographies, including one listing many of the translated primary source materials, ensure that this book will be an essential component in any library of the Mongol Empire.”
         —Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies

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  4. Genghis Khan and Mongol Rule

    George Lane

    "[With] implications for such current themes as globalization, global villages, and global conditions for peace . . . this book tells a grand story in the brief compass of seven chapters, with a well-written historical introduction, a helpful chronology, sixteen biographies portraying the international cast of personages who traversed empires, and a glossary indispensable to a work of this nature. Twenty-one primary documents give historical credence to the Mongol story itself, a story that is told only in the oral tradition of The Secret History of the Mongols. Maps and illustrations round out the material in support of the text."
         —The History Teacher

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  5. Islamic Legal Theory: A Critical Introduction

    David R. Vishanoff

    David Vishanoff’s thorough and original unpacking of the Sunnī jurist al-Juwaynī’s (1028–1085) Kitāb al-Waraqāt fī uṣūl al-fiqh introduces English-speaking readers to the main concepts, terms, principles, and functions of the classical Islamic discipline of legal theory. This volume offers an ideal entry to the otherwise dense and complex mainstream Sunnī views that dominated Islamic legal thought in al-Juwaynī’s day—and that are still widely accepted today. A critical edition of al-Juwaynī’s Arabic text is also included.

    "In this brilliant, innovative, and engaging book, Vishanoff guides readers through some of the most fundamental questions Muslims have debated, and struggled with, for centuries. Most Muslim scholars' books on these topics are dense and difficult. But here Vishanoff takes one such book—al-Juwaynī’s classic Waraqat—and explains, with lucidity and precision, its complex and obscure arguments. Through this book, readers will reach a better understanding of why such debates mattered to Muslims in the past, why they matter now, and how they affect the ways in which the Sharia—God’s law—might be understood in the future."
     —Robert Gleave, University of Exeter

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  6. Muslim Sources of the Crusader Period: An Anthology

    Edited and Translated, with an Introduction, by James E. Lindsay and Suleiman A. Mourad

    "In the last century, many of the main Arabic chronicles of the crusading period have been made available in English translations and are now well-known. This volume, however, gives us a whole wide range of materials, only a few of which are accessible to non-Arabists. The collection includes not just little-known narrative historians, like the lively and original Ibn Wasil, but also letters, sermons, and inscriptions. Each section is followed by a few questions, ideal essay subjects for advanced students and thought provoking for general readers. Among the many strengths of this collection is that it gives due weight to thirteenth-century writings, often neglected but often interesting. Another strength is that the translations are, in all cases, the authors' own work, giving fresh and interesting versions of such well-known classics as the Rihla of Ibn Jubayr. This is a new and exciting collection which will open new horizons for students and teachers alike." —Hugh Kennedy, SOAS, University of London

    "This is a superb collection, covering nearly every aspect of the Crusader entanglement with the Islamic Near East as expressed in Arabic sources, in clear, readable English translations. The editors are to be thanked for including texts from multiple genres--not just chronicles, but travel literature, memoirs, biographies, poetry, epistles, treaties, and orations. Nor is this collection limited to literary texts, as it also includes evidence from inscriptions--a revealing source for understanding the public propaganda of the age. The informative appendices, maps, and thoughtful discussion questions will make this anthology a breeze to use in teaching, and I can't wait to get started using it." —Paul M. Cobb, University of Pennsylvania

    Table of Contents: Click here to see the full Table of Contents (PDF).

    Sample Syllabus: Cick here to download a sample syllabus for author James Lindsay's HIST 201, Approaches to History: The Islamic Near East during the Crusader Period class.

     

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  7. Sanctified Violence: Holy War in World History

    Alfred J. Andrea and Andrew Holt

    "This rich and engaging book looks at instances of sanctified violence, the holy wars related to religion. It covers it all, from ancient to present day, including examples of warfare among Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is a comprehensive and readable overview that provides a lively introduction to the subject of holy war in its broadest sense—as ‘sanctified violence’ in the service of a god or ideology. It is certain to be a useful companion in the classroom, and a boon to anyone fascinated by the dark attraction of religion and violence." —Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barbara

    "With Andrea and Holt as sure-footed guides, Sanctified Violence tackles a vast subject: the global history of holy war in its many forms across the millennia. From cosmic struggles between forces of good and evil at the dawn of mythic time to apocalyptic battles at history’s end, this book explores the transcendental impulses and religious ideologies that fuel and shape collective violence in virtually every culture and age. Modern military chaplains and armed Buddhist monks keep company with medieval Templars and Aztec Flower warriors. Sanctified Violence never pretends to have all the answers to difficult questions about warfare and the sacred, but rather invites reflective readers to appraise their complicated relationship for themselves. Richly illustrated, each chapter offers a detailed commentary on its major historical sources and poses questions for further analysis, making the volume ideal for the classroom." Brett E. Whalen, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

    Contents: Introduction: What Is Holy War?, Chapter 1: Holy Wars in Mythic Time, Holy Wars as Metaphor, Holy Wars as Ritual, Chapter 2: Holy Wars of Conquest in the Name of a Deity, Chapter 3: Holy Wars in Defense of the Sacred, Chapter 4: Holy Wars in Anticipation of the Millennium, and an Epilogue: Holy Wars Today and Tomorrow.

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  8. Seven Myths of the Crusades

    Edited, with an Introduction and Epilogue, by Alfred J. Andrea and Andrew Holt

    Series: Myths of History

    "Crusade historians frequently lament the wide gulf that separates modern scholarship from popular beliefs regarding the holy wars of the Middle Ages. In this lively book a group of those scholars tackle seven of the most intractable myths that obscure our view of the crusades. With erudition, energy, and a dose of humility this book makes the case that solid historical research brings us ever closer to historical accuracy—and that matters. The myths of the crusades may be legion, but breaking down seven of them is an excellent place to start."
          —Thomas F. Madden, St. Louis University

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  9. The Crusades

    Helen Nicholson

    "Nicholson discusses the many different types of crusades, including not only the expeditions to the Holy Land, but also those against heretics and pagans in Europe; the "reconquest" of Spain from the Muslims; and crusades against the Turks in the Balkans. She also discusses the different schools of thought among historians as to how to define crusades and why medieval Christians went on them. . . . The appended biographies and glossary are well done, but even more useful are the relevant primary documents conveniently included."
         —School Library Journal

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  10. The Greco-Persian Wars

    Erik Jensen

    Series: Passages: Key Moments in History

    "Erik Jensen's The Greco-Persian Wars offers a refreshing introduction to a critical (but often misunderstood) historical event in world history. Rejecting dated models of East-West confrontation, this book usefully frames the Persian invasions of Greece in terms of imperial expansion and frontier development, and also considers the long-term evolution of Greco-Persian relations after 480–479 BC. The source selections draw on both Achaemenid documents as well as Greek narratives to contextualize the conflict." —John Hyland, Christopher Newport University

    "I like Jensen’s book very much. This 'key moment' in world history has traditionally been read almost exclusively through Greek eyes, and having these translations of the Persian sources provides the opportunity and impetus for a fresh interpretation of this classic encounter. . . . The Introduction provides an excellent background to the Persian sources and sheds invaluable light on the people and society that produced them." —Robert GarlandColgate University

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  11. The Mission of Friar William of Rubruck

    Translated by Peter Jackson, Introduction, Notes, and Appendices, by Peter Jackson and David Morgan

    "[A] gem . . . Jackson's emendations are judicious, his translation reads well. . . . The exemplary work of Peter Jackson and David Morgan will remain indispensable to all interested in the wealth of information contained in Rubruck's report."
         —Denis Sinor, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

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  12. The Rise of Islam

    Matthew S. Gordon

    "What sets this text apart from many others is its focus on the socioeconomic, political, and cultural milieu in which a new religious movement was born and has thrived; its discussion of the origins of Islamic law, spirituality and theology, mysticism, philosophy, and culture; and an appendix of individual page-length biographies of important figures.  Also included is a helpful glossary of terms, a 'photo essay,' selections from primary sources, and an annotated bibliography. . . . Gordon's discussion of the sociocultural origins and authority of the Qur'an is very good.  He also highlights an area of Islamic studies often ignored in general introduction, the role of urbanization in the development of Islamic civilization worldwide. . . . [T]his is a very useful and informative general introduction."
         —The Historian

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