Book Description
A revised edition of the internationally acclaimed biography of the prophet
• Includes important additions about the prophet’s spread of Islam into Syria and its neighboring states
• Contains original English translations from 8th and 9th century biographies, presented in authoritative language
• Represents the final updates made on the text before the author’s death in 2005
Martin Lings’ biography of Muhammad is an internationally acclaimed, comprehensive, and authoritative account of the life of the prophet. Based on the
sira, the eighth- and ninth-century Arabic biographies that recount numerous events in the prophet’s life, it contains original English translations of many important passages that reveal the words of men and women who heard Muhammad speak and witnessed the events of his life.
Scrupulous and exhaustive in its fidelity to its sources,
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources is presented in a narrative style that is easily comprehensible, yet authentic and inspiring in its use of language, reflecting both the simplicity and grandeur of the story it tells. This revised edition includes new sections detailing the prophet’s expanding influence and his spreading of the message of Islam into Syria and its neighboring states. It represents the final updates made to the text before the author’s death in 2005. The book has been published in 12 languages and has received numerous awards, including acknowledgment as best biography of the prophet in English at the National Seerate Conference in Islamabad.
Customer Reviews:
A work of Art.......2007-09-06
Martin Lings delivers the story of the life of the Prophet Muhammad with accuracy and with a prose that is engaging and artful. Care is taken in crafting each sentence and what results is a moving account of Prophet Muhammad's life.
one of the best books .......2007-07-28
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. very well explained and detail oriented from the point of view of the muslims
Great book for those serious about Muhammad's life.......2007-06-07
This book is not a breezy read. It should be taken in slowly given all the information it provides. It is a must-have for every book collection on Islam and The Prophet. Martin Lings, a convert to Islam, did an outstanding job.
An exellent book, best of its kind in English.......2007-04-11
Well written band based on historical sources this is probably the best biography of the Prophet Muhammad that you can buy. Mr Lings has been criticized by some Muslims of the Salafi/Wahabbi school of thought (Bilal Philips to name one) who were critical of a number of points in the book. Mostly on the passage where he says on the conquest on Mecca when all images inside the Kaba were erased Muhammad placed a protective hand over that of Abraham. He does point out in the footnotes that according to other sources all images were removed so I do not understand why Mr Philips was so critical of him.
The book is extreamly well written and covers all of the historical details of Muhammads life including events leading up to his birth and a brief history of Mecca.
Highly recomended for anyone who seriously wants to know about the Muslim religion.
excellent.......2007-01-25
item was delivered promptly and in good condition..I was very satisfied with my purchase and would recommend this user to anyone!
Book Description
The enormous changes in the 1990s throughout the Middle East have necessitated this thoroughly revised edition of the standard introduction to the subject. Offering a balanced history of both Israeli and Arab goals, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict covers the history of Palestine before Israeli independence in 1948 and brings the story forward to the breakthrough Arab-Israeli Accord of 1993 and its troubled aftermath.
Customer Reviews:
Good with excellent primary sources.......2006-02-10
The Arab-Israeli conflict is one that touches on so many painful emotions and biases that no book will be deemed fair or unbiased by all concerned. However, Smith's book does a very good job of attempting to be as close to unbiased as possible. It is often used as a textbook in upper-level modern Middle East history courses for just that reason. It is good choice for someone who is new to the subject (other than the inescapable news coverage) and really wants to understand some of the issues invovled throughout the history of the conflict.
One of the strongest things about Smith's book is the inclusion of a number of primary sources. Other than disputing the translations, no one can deny that primary sources are as close to an honest look at history as we can get. Documents are included from many sides of the issues involved and no side comes out either squeekly clean nor as pure evil.
Another strength I found, to differ with another reviewers opinion, is that the book starts quite far back in the history of the conflict. As the mythologizing of the roots of Israel as a nation has been worked into the official stance of all sides, each for their own purposes, understanding what happened at the beginning is of utmost importance if you really want to grasp the subject. This is a good book that does it's best with a difficult subject and goes into some depth in addition to excellent primary source material.
Read with care and caution.......2005-06-04
Like some other reviewers, I too bought this book for a college course and I too find it overly biased toward the Arab point of view. The author has the right to draw his own conclusions, but like any non-fiction book, readers must use their own judgement to evaluate those conclusions carefully. I don't know if there is an author without bias on this topic due to its sensitivity.
It is also horribly dry in my opinion. I know it's supposed to be, but certain sections just drag on and on, it seems, uneccessarily.
Read critically, not literally. If you have a choice (i.e. don't have to buy this particular book for a course or something) choose a more balanced author, if you can find one.
A Good Historical Overview But More Recent Events are Biased.......2005-04-25
The book is a fairly concise and accurate overview of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It covers ancient Jewish history, the beginnings of Zionism, the emergence of Israel, the Arab Wars and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most of the coverage is well researched and documented.
The closing chapters of the book are undoubtedly biased towards the Palestinian account. One example is the coverage of the Barak-Arafat-Clinton negotiations in 2000. Smith portrays Barak as a man whose intentions were not to conduct honest negotiations but rather "carefully calculated, intended to appear more amenable to the United States." Smith writes that "there was never an Israeli offer." Further, Smith asserts that Barak was manipulating the media in order to force them to present a positive account of Israeli negotiations. Arafat's refusal to make any counter offer, or contribute to the negotiations -- as asserted by President Clinton and the U.S. chief negotiater -- are not mentioned. Smith also does not fault Palestinian terrorism -- the systematic, often daily suicide bombings experienced by Israel -- for turning Israeli public opinion against further peace talks. According to Smith, the blame lies solely on Sharon and his visit to the Temple Mount and Palestinian frustration.
Smith's discussion of the Intifada speaks in terms of Israeli attacks and Palestinian "armed response." In fact, Israel had been initially very reserved in its replies to suicide bombings. Israeli interests do not lie in a military occupation of the Palestinian territories, unless necessary to alleviate security risk.
Admittedly, I have an opinion about whose fault the failure of the Camp David II was. It is acceptable for the author to take an opposite view. However, in a book that claims to be a non-biased textbook for college use, the topic should be presented with acknowledgement of differing opinions. Especially, when the book presents an account that is largely a contrast to the established narrative (a narrative that there is no reason to believe is inaccurate).
My rating is still positive because the book is a valuable resource in its coverage of earlier time periods. However, this book should be used with other materials for balance.
Read this book.......2005-04-15
A perfectly balanced, non-biased, facts only, well documented, concise and detailed account. An excellent book to be read by all who wish to have an in-depth knowledge of what went and goes on in that part of the world.
A great survey of the everlasting conflict.......2005-02-23
Great book...easy to read for a history text. Read it over a weekend and actually stayed awake. Up to date discussion and documents add value to the study of the topic.
Highly recommend.
Book Description
This unique primary source reader provides first-hand accounts of the events described in Middle Eastern history survey texts. It is an up-to-date collection of primary documents on the modern Middle East, giving students access to many documents that are rarely available in English translations.
The text is organized into 10 chapters featuring chapter introductions and headnotes. The primary source documents cover the late 18th through the 20th centuries, exploring political, social, economic, and cultural history and infusing the volume with the voices of real people.
- Author Akram Khater is noted for his scholarship in Lebanese history.
- Issues such as nationalism and its relationship to ethnicity, gender, and the environment receive thorough coverage.
- An introduction to reading primary sources helps students analyze unfamiliar material.
- Coverage includes selections from Morocco, Algeria, Afghanistan, the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
- The last chapter covers globalization and cultural pluralism in the Middle East and North Africa.
Customer Reviews:
A One-Stop Collection of Primary Sources.......2005-05-01
AF Khater's collection "Sources in the History of the Modern Middle East" is a collection of many of the most influential documents in Middle Eastern history. As he writes in his introduction, there is no other collection like it, and as such it is essential for anyone making a serious study of the history of the region. Even were there to be other collections, this would remain the yardstick for quite some time.
All the usual suspects are represented here, dating from the Tanzimat era of the Ottoman Empire through to recent political developments and the rise of Islamist terrorism. Khater's terms of reference are sufficiently broad to warrant inclusion of some very illuminating documents from Algeria dealing with both the decolonisation period and the manifestation of a Berber national identity, the latter of which is an area of study which would benefit from much more scholarly attention.
As a result, the reader will be able to read the Hatt-i-Serif of Gulhane - arguably the most important proclamation in Ottoman History, as well as the Husayn-McMahon correspondence and the Balfour Declaration, often said to be the sources of the Israel-Palestine question in the modern history of the region. Writings of many leading Zionist intellectuals are included as well, demonstrating several of the nuances of the creation of Israel. For more modern interest, the full text of Osama bin Laden's declaration of jihad on the West is included, to say nothing of texts from his ideological ancestors such as al-Banna and Qutb.
Sources from the West are also included, particularly an astonishing series of diplomatic cables on the situation in pre-revolution Iran which manifestly get the situation wrong. While some readers might be surprised to see names such as Saddam Hussein and Ayatollah Khomeini included here, this is actually a great strength of the collection, as these individuals have been particularly important historically - regardless of anyone's feelings about their actions.
Khater introduces each section and each document with a brief overview of its significance, but the main focus here is to let the articles, proclamations and speeches speak for themselves. While some of the longer documents are present only in edited form, this does not sufficiently detract from an understanding of the work.
As a result, this is not a book for the casual reader. The five stars awarded here are on the supposition that readers with a specialised interest in and knowledge of the history will derive great use from this book. While Khater mentions the significance of the documents and their authors briefly, anyone with only a passing knowledge of the region will be left confused as to what part some of these intellectuals and political luminaries played. For a casual reader, a general history of the region is much more advisable.
Book Description
Politics and Change in the Middle East presents the politics of this area by discussing the economic, historical, social science, popular culture, and religious issues. It incorporates historical perspectives with contemporary material, giving readers the necessary background to make informed judgments on the politics of the region today. Comprehensive in its scope, this book covers traditional cultures of the region, the foundations of Islam, issues and events in the region from A.D. 632 to 1990, religious politics, culture, and social life, political leaders, the economic setting, and the events of 9/11/2001. For employees in corporations that deal with the region of the Middle East, where an understanding of the history and culture is necessary.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful and well balanced -- a truely scholarly effort.......2004-01-03
As a college student majoring in Economics, I was privileged to study with two of the authors of this book. However I read this book not as part of a curriculum but as side-reading. Having read several books on the Middle East (and being well familiar with the area including some undergraduate research), I can safely say that it is one of the most insightful books written on the subject.
The authors bring their expertise and familiarity with three different disciplines (anthropology, international relations and economics), combined with thorough on-site research. This extremely well-written book traces the history of conflict in the Middle East, the high and low points, the personalities who positively or negatively shaped the course of Middle Eastern history.
I believe it is recommended reading for any person today who wants to understand the Middle East better and who wants to increase their awareness of the global village we all are citizens of. More importantly though, this book should be recommended reading for future researchers, scholars and teachers as a guide to 'understanding, studying and researching a new culture or a differnet people'.
The techniques used in researching this topic truely do justice to a topic, which is very difficult to research, and write about, while maintaining brevity, objectivity and yet, not sacrificing thoroughness of research.
An excellent book, a must-have for academics and people who want to have a deeper understanding of the Middle East as well as become familiar with the unique style and techniques of research utilized in this work.
Average customer rating:
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General Issues in the Study of Medieval Logistics: Sources, Problems And Methodologies (History of Warfare, V. 36) (History of Warfare)
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Middle Eastern
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ASIN: 9004147691 |
Product Description
Logistics is a central concern for military strategists, but the study of logistics in the past entails far more than merely military aspects. The study of resources and their production, distribution and consumption in pre-modern societies, of road-networks and communications, and of transportation, is an essential precondition, so that the study of logistics is also the study of pre-industrial social, economic and spatial organisation. This volume presents a series of papers dealing with the methodological, technical and historical issues associated with the study of logistics in all its aspects, and in particular demonstrates the value of modern computer-modelling and of integrating archaeological, historical and environmental research techniques and agendas into a common project.
Book Description
The Israel-Arab Reader is a thorough and up-to-date guide to the continuing crisis in the Middle East. It covers the full spectrum of the Israel-Arab conflict-from the earliest days, through the wars and peacemaking efforts, up to the Israel-PLO and Israel-Jordan peace accords. This comprehensive reference includes speeches, letters, articles, and reports dealing with all the major interests in the area from all of the relevant political parties and world leaders. Completely updated, consolidated, and revised throughout, The Israel-Arab Reader contains new sections on the Wye River agreement, and other recent developments, making it the essential resource on the ongoing conflict.
Historians and Middle East specialists Walter Laqueur and Barry Rubin have arranged the material chronologically and without bias. All viewpoints-American, Arab, British, Egyptian, Israeli, Palestinian, and Russian-are accurately presented.
Customer Reviews:
Almost the Perfect Reference.......2003-07-09
I will not spend a lot of time writing about how valuable a reference this is - the other reviewers on this site have already more than done it justice. Aside from the relative lack of material on early Zionism (also pointed out by one of the other reviewers), this book has most if not all of the relevant documents. I have only one major criticism (the reason I gave the book four stars instead of 5): the almost complete lack of information about the original sources. Apart from a one-liner preceding each document, no information is given regarding 1) the citation of the original work, including page numbers, where appropriate; 2) the language in which the original work was written; 3) if the work was not written in English, credit for the translation, the date thereof, etc. While these may not be of interest to the casual reader, to anyone doing research in the field, if only for a college paper, these details are critical. Furthermore, in an area as controversial as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the ability to trace documents back to the original and verify translations is everything.
Every UN Document.......2003-04-08
What else can be said about a book that contains every UN and League of Nations document about the Israel-Palestine conflict? It is a necessity as a reference for those engaged and a great book to learn about the conflict and its basic political evolution.
A book worthy of being called objective.......2003-03-03
If one is a previously biased reader, this book will doubtlessly contain some documents that are upsetting to read on grounds of including inciteful material. However, the only real criticism that I have is that the 3rd edition has several documents that are of interest to those seeking to research the early Mandatory period, such as documents by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the Revisionist Zionist and ideological founder of the Irgun Zvai Leumi. It is understanable though, that as future editions come out the length could get phrohibitively long without pruning some data. As a basic and intermediate level documentary text it is one of the best I have come across.
Essential reference to the whole Arab-Israeli issue........2002-10-31
I write in relation to the sixth revised and updated version of this work. My purchase was based upon the recommendations of others here and I was certainly not disappointed with my acquisition of this book.
It really is a priceless reference and guide to the way in which the Middle East has taken shape and how the whole Arab-Israeli issue has developed since it's inception. Indeed, references are quoted with effect from 1882 through until the present day.
We are treated to a seemingly endless accurate list of letters, speeches, reports and articles from a considerable cross section of sources, both in the international arena and in the region itself. This latest version even contains sections on the Camp David negotiations and their subsequent failure in 2000/2001.
One is able to see from the direct quotes of the parties concerned, exactly what was said, and moreover in it's true context, making this an indisputably essential asset to understanding the conflicts and `peace-making' in the region. This level of understanding is made accessible not only to the Camp David talks but also to virtually every other episode of significance relative to this ongoing issue throughout the many decades.
A highly recommended read.
An excellent source of info.......2002-05-19
The book is simply a collection of documents on the Arab-Israeli conflict, dating back to the British Mandate in Palestine. The editors included all the important papers such as the Balflour Declaration, the "White Paper," various UN declarations, and speeches made by both Arab and Israeli leaders. The latest documents it contains are those covering the Camp David meetings between President Clinton, barak, and Arafat near the end of Clinton's presidency. While it is not a history of the conflict (merely a collection of historical documents), it certainly can provide you with plenty of info on the subject.
Book Description
This book provides the reader with the primary sources for the history of the ancient Near East. Covering the period from the earliest historical and literary texts (ca. 2700 BC) to the advent of Alexander the Great (331 BC), it presents new translations of Mesopotamian and ancient Near Eastern historiographic texts, and other related materials.An opening chapter sets out the themes of the book and discusses the difficulties of translating cuneiform texts into English, as well as the difficulty of reconstructing ancient Near Eastern history from textual sources. Texts featured in the main body of the book range from the code of Hammurabi to the Assyrian royal inscriptions. For each text, a detailed commentary is provided, placing it in its historical and cultural context. A map helps to orient the reader.
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International Law In Antiquity (Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law)
David J. Bederman
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0521791979 |
Book Description
This study of the origins of international law combines techniques of intellectual history and historiography to investigate the earliest developments of the law of nations. Containing up-to-date literature and archaeological evidence, it reevaluates the critical attributes of international law. David J. Bederman focuses on three essential areas in which law influenced ancient state relations--diplomacy, treaty-making and warfare--in a detailed analysis of the Near East (2800-700 BCE), the Greek city-states (500-338 BCE), and Rome (358-168 BCE). A fascinating study for lawyers, ancient historians and classicists alike.
Download Description
This study of the origins of international law combines techniques of intellectual history and historiography to investigate the earliest developments of the law of nations. The book examines the sources, processes and doctrines of international legal obligation in antiquity to reevaluate the critical attributes of international law. David J. Bederman focuses on three essential areas in which law influenced ancient state relations - diplomacy, treaty-making and warfare - in a detailed analysis of international relations in the Near East (2800-700 BCE), the Greek city-states (500-338 BCE), and Rome (358-168 BCE). Containing up-to-date literature and archaeological evidence, this study does not merely catalogue instances of recognition by ancient states of these seminal features of international law: it accounts for recurrent patterns of thinking and practice. This comprehensive analysis of international law and state relations in ancient times provides a fascinating study for lawyers and academics, ancient historians and classicists alike.
Book Description
The only book of its kind, The Medieval Reader is a fascinating, illustrated collection of almost 100 first-hand accounts of the period known as the middle ages, roughly from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries. Revealing the medieval world in all its astonishing diversity, the selections reflect the culture of the people who lived during the period, and the contributions they made to their world and our own.
Including, in the best translations, familiar texts such as The Song of Roland, St. Augustine's Confessions and Dante's Divine Comedy, the book also contains the work of many less familiar writers, including prominent medieval women such as Hildegard of Bingen, Christine de Pisan and Margery Kempe. Finally, with the inclusion of many selections illustrating medieval social history, such as The Peasants Revolt of 1381 from the Anonimalle Chronicle, The Medieval Reader brings the Middle Ages to life in a way that no narrative history could.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating reader..........2004-05-23
Norman Cantor's book is a fascinating collection of a very diverse and pivotal period in history. The Middle Ages, for Cantor, extend from the year 312 (the advent of the first Christian Roman Emperor, signaling in many respects the end of the Classical Age) to the year 1517, the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation, another key paradigm shift in the world. This is reader largely of pieces contemporary for the Middle Ages - there is some commentary provided, but the bulk of the task of presenting the Middle Ages rests upon the texts themselves, most translated anew into English by Cantor and other scholars.
This is also a Western civilisation reader - the Middle Ages is of a time as a well as of a place. The geography is Western Europe, from Ireland to Germany, from Scotland and Scandanavia to Italy and Spain. This was the land of Latin Catholicism, pollinated occasionally by Islamic culture from the south and Byzantine Christianity from the east, but largely undisturbed in its development. This culture represents a system of ideas political, religious and otherwise that formed much of the basis for modern Western culture, whose dominance in the world today is, for better or worse, unmistakable.
Cantor's anthology of 100 key texts is meant to simply the task of determining what is worthwhile reading from this period. Primary texts from the Middle Ages, so defined as comprising more than a thousand years, would include literally thousands of volumes - the output of writers such as Augustine alone could take a lifetime to read. Cantor arranges key texts topically, according to certain classifications - Nobility (including the primary families of the period, a sort of Social Register of royal and landed persons who controlled most of what would be considered state power), Church (the hierarchy and the overall institution), and the Middle Class (yes, there was a Middle Class, both urban and rural, that included knights, gentry, artisans and the like). Taking these classifications, Cantor arranges first texts that show them in as isolated a form as possible, then looks at the ways they interact with each other. The final portions of the text include works that look at problems and crises, and ends with documents of resolution, pacification and incorporation.
This is no mere chronology of texts - the emphasis here is on developing the patterns of society over time in the different strata. Literary works utilised include Beowulf, the Song of Roland, El Cid, the works of Dante, Chaucer, and Malory. Church writers from Augustine, Anselm, Bernard and Aquinas are combined with political writings from those such as Petrarch, Erasmus, and various anonymous documents and letters.
There are some real stunning pieces here - Bernard Gui's Inquisitor's Manual, Maimonides' reflections on Christianity (and one of his radical followers trying to explain why Jewish sex is preferable to Christian sex - something that must be read to be believed!), an account of the murder of Thomas Becket, and more.
Take and read!
Reading in the Middle Ages.......1999-02-19
When I first purchased this book through a mail order book club I was very dubious about ever reading it. It looked very uninteresting. But like the saying goes you can't judge a book by it's cover! And it's true this book has introduced me to so many other medieval authors that it's impossible to count them all. If it had not been for Norman Cantor I would have lost out on a lot of good Medeival reading! Thanks Mr. Cantor.
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From Al-andalus to Khurasan: Documents from the Medieval Muslim World (Islamic History and Civilization) (Islamic History and Civilization)
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 9004155678
Release Date: 2006-12-21 |
Books:
- Murder of a Botoxed Blonde (Scumble River Mysteries, Book 9)
- My Side of the Mountain
- National Security and The Nuclear Dilemma, 1945-1991
- Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail: The Evolution of Fighting Tactics, 1650-1815
- Nightjohn
- Open Source Licensing: Software Freedom and Intellectual Property Law
- Out of Egypt: A Memoir
- Out of the Ballpark
- Sacajawea (Lewis & Clark Expedition)
- Shanghai Diary: A Young Girl's Journey from Hitler's Hate to War-Torn China
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