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'This sumptuously illustrated volume, whose writers include well-known specialists such as Patricia Crone and Robert Irwin, has much to recommend it: a high level of text; copious, well-reproduced illustrations that are generally enhanced by clear and informative explanations and commentaries; and a splendid and comprehensive bibliography … together with a useful glossary and list of rulers.' Asian Affairs
'Quality photographs and reproductions of works of art on nearly every page make the volume extremely attractive and render the reading enjoyable … This book answers the requirements of the uninitiated general public, as well as of students of Islamic and Asian civilisation.' Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam
' … reliable sources of information, and beautifully produced.' International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church
'Quality photographs and reproductions of works of art on nearly every page make the volume extremely attractive and render the reading enjoyable … This book answers the requirements of the uninitiated general public, as well as of students of Islamic and Asian civilisation.' Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam
' … reliable sources of information, and beautifully produced.' International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church
Product Description
Islamic peoples account for one-fifth of the world's population and yet there is widespread misunderstanding in the West about Islam. Francis Robinson and his team set out to address this, revealing with the help of sumptuous illustration, insight, and expertise, the complex and sometimes contrary nature of Muslim culture. As well as taking on the issues uppermost in everyone's minds, such as the role of religious and political fundamentalism, they demonstrate the importance of commerce, literacy and learning, Islamic art, the effects of immigration, exodus, and conquest, and the roots of current crises in the Middle East, Bosnia, and the Gulf. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the interaction between Islam and the West, from the first Latin translations of the Quran to the fatwa on Salman Rushdie, to dismantle our impression of Islam as a monolithic culture.
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Of the Middle East in about AD 600 one thing can be said for certain: its chances of being conquered by Arab tribesmen in the name of a new religion were so remote that nobody had even speculated that it might happen. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Of the Middle East in about AD 600 one thing can be said for certain: its chances of being conquered by Arab tribesmen in the name of a new religion were so remote that nobody had even speculated that it might happen. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent overview of a massive subject for general readers,
By
This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)
This is a book that I, as a Western Muslim who is a student of the history of the Muslim world, often recommend for non-Muslim and non-academic friends. It is not a reference work, or even an academic one, although it is edited and written by academics. (Francis Robinson is a professor of Islamic history at the University of London.)
Rather it provides an excellent overview of the evolution of Islamic culture and civilization in its many different manifestations in different parts of the world over 1400 years. It breaks the period down into manageable chunks, and also discusses different parts of the Muslim world -- the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, North Africa, etc. -- separately. It also discusses art, architecture, Sufism, Islamic science, political Islam, and numerous other subjects thematically. It is generally well written, easy for general readers (ie. non-academics) to read, and superbly illustrated, providing insights into the Islamic world that would be impossible to convey in more academic texts. Having said that it is non-academic -- it would be a good starting point for undergraduates looking to study this subject for the first time. Overall -- highly recommended. Finally I would say -- the criticisms in an earlier review on Amazon seem to me to refer to a completely different book; perhaps the academic reference work that the reviewers expected this to be, rather that the popular history that it actually is.
5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Can't Recommend A Purchase,
By Epictetus "Epictetus" (City of London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)
This book is published by the Cambridge University Press and is this promoted, implicitly at least given its title, as an authoritative reference work. It may have great merits as a work of political literature, but it is disappointing as a reference work of history, and it is a surprise to this reader that the Cambridge University Press has apparently lowered its editorial and professional standards so much. There are other works in the Cambridge Illustrated History series that easily meet the normal standards of such a reference work, for example the volume on China.
Two examples of the limitations of this book give a representative picture of its shortcomings. First, in the Introduction, the editor uses the term "heresy" to describe how "western eyes" view the attack of some muslims on the achievements of the Enlightenment. Much of the book seems to be a partisan argument defending one particular, and extreme, muslim doctrine against a particular, and also extreme, non-muslim viewpoint. Leaving aside the question of whether this approach suits a work that is positioned as an authoritative reference book, the choice of the term "heresy" here is unfortunate, and one feels prompted to wonder whether the term was picked deliberately to obscure the main point of the enlightenment, which was to move from revealed religion to rational or scientific exploration of questions where possible. This kind of confusion will happen in the choice of words occasionally in even the best writing, but it is pervasive in this book. The second example is found a few pages later, in relation to women. The text states that the freedom enjoyed by women in the West has on the whole produced shock among muslim men, and that this freedom "led to moral degeneration." Had the text quoted these words -- " 'led to moral degeneration ' " -- to mean that either this view was stated by some muslim or that the editor takes it to represent an opinion, that could be acceptable in a reference work, but written as an assertion, i.e. a statement of fact or of the author's best impartial judgement, it moves the book from being a reliable reference work to being a polemic or worse. It is hard to say whether the book's poor quality in many places is as a result of very low standards of editing and writing, or whether the book has a narrow and, one hopes, minority agenda. Some chapters are very good, but on the whole this is not the book that it claims to be, and the potential buyer's money is probably better saved for a different title. It is to be hoped that the management of the CUP will ensure a much better work in the next edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews) 28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Intro to Islamic Culture and Belief,
By Zekeriyah - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)
In an age of prejudice towards the Islamic faith, it is nice to see a more accurate and even-handed book covering the Muslim world. This book gives an excellent introduction, going into depth on how the west has viwed the Islamic world, and vice-versca. Then it goes onto the first chapter, where it discusses pre-Islamic Arabia, the life of Mohammad, the Rashidun, the schism between Sunni and Shi'a, and the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. This chapter is especially interesting in laying the framework for the foundations of the Islamic world, as well as the spread of Islam and Arabic culture, and later conversion of non-Arab peoples (most notably the Persians). In the next chapter, the Islamic world from 1000 to 1500 AD is covered, when Islam had spread across the Middle East, west to Spain and west Africa and east towards India and Central Asia. This chapter covers many interesting subjects, such as the Fatimid dynasty, the Crusades, the Mongols, Byzantium and the Turks, and Islamic states in East Asia and Africa. The third chapter covers the period from 1500 to 1800 AD, a period of both great achievements and decline. The Persian, Mongol and Turkish powers are mentioned (such as the Safavids, Mughals and Ottomans), alongside mention of Islam in Africa and elsehwere in Asia (mainly China and Southeast Asia).The subsequent chapter focuses on the 1800s to the present day, and a growing western presence in Islamic lands. This chapter shows how European powers carved up Islamic lands (the French in Syria and north/west Africa, the Brits in Iraq, Palestine, Egypt and South Asia, the Italians in north Africa, Russians in central Asia, etc), and how Islamicist reformer movements arose because of this. Mention is also made of non-colonized states (such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran), and of the emergence of independant Islamic states. The second section of the book goes more into cultural studies, delving into economies, trade routes and social structure within the Islamic world. Mention is made of both historical traderoutes and interconnectedness in the Islamic world, stretching from Morocco to Indonesia, and of modern economies in predominantly Muslim states. In chapter seven, the book explores learning in Islamic societies. Mention is made of the high degree of literacy in Islam, and the many great scientific achievements in medicine, astronomy and mathematics. Mention is also made of the impact of the west on Islamic learning. This is followed by a chapter on the arts in the Islamic world, ranging from calligraphy to architecture to classical Arabic music (including mention of legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kalthum) and everything in between. This is an excellent chapter for understanding and appreciating Islamic culture. The book closes out with a conclusion on Islam in the modern world, relationships with the west, the spread of Islam to every country in the world and crises in Bosnia, Palestine, Kashmir and Chechnya. It also has a wonderful timeline covering various Islamic dynasties around the world and a short glossary of Arabic terms. Its quite a nice book for getting to understand some of the basic history and culture of the Islamic world and some of the current issues facing the Islamic world. For the purposes of this book, by the way, the Islamic world counts as any country where the majority of the population is Muslim, not just self-declared Islamic states (which would be limited to Iran, Pakistan, Mauritania and such). Hence it covers almost all of the Middle East, north Africa, Central Asia and much of South Asia, as well as Bosnia, Albania, parts of west and east Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and so forth. In fact, the book makes a point of examining Islam in South Asia, Africa, China and elsewhere beyond the Middle East. It also includes many illustrations and maps of the Islamic world. Hence its an invaluable aid for anyone, Muslim or non-Muslim, in understanding the wonderful history and culture of Islam. However, it doesn't go into depth on beliefs or specific cultures (such as Arabs, Persians, Malay, Mongols and whatnot), so you would need to look elsewhere for that. 7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Can't Recommend A Purchase,
By Epictetus "Epictetus" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)
This book is published by the Cambridge University Press and is this promoted, implicitly at least given it title, as an authoritative reference work. It may have great merits as a work of political literature, but it is disappointing as a reference work of history, and it is a surprise to this reader that the Cambridge University Press has apparently lowered its editorial and professional standards so much. There are other works in the Cambridge Illustrated History series that easily meet the normal standards of such a reference work, for example the volume on China.
Two examples of the limitations of this book give a representative picture of its shortcomings. First, in the Introduction, the editor uses the term "heresy" to describe how "western eyes" view the attack of some muslims on the achievements of the Enlightenment. Much of the book seems to be a partisan argument defending one particular, and extreme, muslim doctrine against a particular, and also extreme, non-muslim viewpoint. Leaving aside the question of whether this approach suits a work that is positioned as an authoritative reference book, the choice of the term "heresy" here is unfortunate, and one feels prompted to wonder whether the term was picked deliberately to obscure the main point of the enlightenment, which was to move from revealed religion to rational or scientific exploration of questions where possible. This kind of confusion will happen in the choice of words occasionally in even the best writing, but it is pervasive in this book. The second example is found a few pages later, in relation to women. The text states that the freedom enjoyed by women in the West has on the whole produced shock among muslim men, and that this freedom "led to moral degeneration." Had the text quoted these words -- " 'led to moral degeneration ' " -- to mean that either this view was stated by some muslim or that the editor takes it to represent an opinion, that could be acceptable in a reference work, but written as an assertion, i.e. a statement of fact or of the author's best impartial judgement, it moves the book from being a reliable reference work to being a polemic or worse. It is hard to say whether the book's poor quality in many places is as a result of very low standards of editing and writing, or whether the book has a narrow and, one hopes, minority agenda. Some chapters are very good, but on the whole this is not the book that it claims to be, and the potential buyer's money is probably better saved for a different title. It is to be hoped that the management of the CUP will ensure a much better work in the next edition. 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Textbook for college class,
By S. Edwards "traveller512" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)
Bought this book for my husband who was taking a college course in Islamic Art and Architecture. This book was comprehensive and quite useful to him. We purchased a used copy that was in excellent condition and delivered quickly.
Would recommend for content, quality and service. |
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