History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Golden Age of the Moor (Journal of African Civilizations, Vol 11, Fall 1991)

Average customer rating:

great timing
An interesting book. A start maybe, but not a conclusion
Golden Pages of the Moor
Moor Maur Moore Muur and More Knowledge
Historically incorrect revisionism

The Golden Age of the Moor (Journal of African Civilizations, Vol 11, Fall 1991)

Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560005815

Customer Reviews:

great timing.......2007-07-07

I received this item very fast, faster than i expected with the packaging in excellent condition.

An interesting book. A start maybe, but not a conclusion.......2007-07-05

The book makes an interesting read, Van Sertima has challenged for years the concept put forward by some that Africans (or more specifically Black Africans) have contributed little to world civilization. In this book he presents the case of the Moors and their influence on Europe.

While some parts are interesting and in some cases can be quite an eye opener they should by no means be seen as a be all and end all to African studies. One major problem I feel with the book is that while Van Sertima is trying to present Africas contibution to the world he is seeing it through an entirely Western perspective.

First of all, the Moors (i.e. the people of North West Africa) though some are of dark complexion and some black most of them are not. Unlike for example colonial American history the eithical outlook of the people did not revolve around race but rather faith or tribe. Often historians project modern concepts of race and society on hisorical people who simply had no concept of it.

Van Sertima is not unique in this nor are western historians take Nassar for example in Egypt who placed on his flag the embem of Salahuddin calling him a 'great Arab leader' (even though he was a Kurd who lead an army that almost certainly consisted of mostly Turks, secondly Kurds and then Arabs)

Another issue with the book is it is based upon almost entirely Euopean sources. True, many of them are translated Arabic books but that can hardly substitute from the original. There are some that would see this as a minor or even unimportant issue (many of the most Islamaphobic books printed today are by 'experts' who dont speak a word of Arabic) but imagine someone writing a book on say French history or the history of the Russian church but could speak not a word of French or Russian!

As a result, Van Sertima is left with a book that often contradicts itself and often has errors resulting from miss-translations or transliterations.

The book is an iteresting read but Andalusia for example, was hardly a Black African colony. It was a land that included native Spaniards, Arabs, Jews, Slavs (in fairly large numbers) Persians, Black Africans etc. People that Europeans may have refered to as 'Moors' does not mean that they were Black as the term refered to North Africans in general.

The book includes an exellent biblography for further reading though almost all, books by western authors.

Golden Pages of the Moor.......2006-08-11

Golden Age of the Moor is destined to become a classic if it isn't already that. If I could give it ten stars, I'd give it twenty. Teeming with boldly told truths and irrefutable facts about what was perhaps the most pivotal time period in the history of African and Western cultures, focusing on one of the greatest empires ever, this book is not merely a great read; it is full scale reeducation. Zooming in on the Moorish occupation of Spain between the 8th and 15th centuries, this book offers readers an inspiring revisitation of that period. Here is an awesome compilation of well presented scholarly essays representing an all-star ensemble of front line scholars and progressive thinkers, complied and edited by the J. A. Rogers of this generation, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima. And speaking of Rogers, Golden Age of the Moor mirrors Rogers, as it too, displays many rare illustrations and photographs depicting historical Moors as the highly civilized and enlightened people they were. And this book boldly identifies Moors as an African phenotype.

It's really exciting to vicariously participate in the collaborative work of these great minds as they converge scholarship on this one important subject; the Moors. One can only imagine the force of energy and unity involved to make this timely project the outstanding resource success it is. It's shameful that so Many people are dumbfounded about this history, thus, I feel awkward saying, this is one of the best books on the subject.

I've read some harsh criticisms about this work and it is nothing but sour grapes. When truth, especially that which has been hidden for a very long time, boldly emerges; some people who have profited by its absence, either emotionally, spiritually, economically or whatever, are certain to anger, and through that anger; they will call the truth teller a liar. Such is the case with the emergence of this book. Moorish history has for too long been pushed out of the big picture and it deserves its proper place on the historical canvas. We applaud those who dare to interpret and report history with integrity to let the chips fall where they may. On that note, I recommend the Euvolution Of Sacred Muur Science By Noble Timothy El as a complementary resource to this book.

My only criticism (and perhaps it's not really that) is that, as some of the contributors here present the research supporting Moorish identity, they seem to almost defend their positions in doing so. While I do understand the reason for this, I insist that truth needs no explanation or defense. Everybody who knows, knows the Moors were Africans. You need not engage, dignify or invite polemics on that topic. History speaks louder than words. Cased closed!

Mr. Van Sertima! Thank you, Sir.

Moor Maur Moore Muur and More Knowledge.......2006-02-05

Superior book that's all I can say, nothing but the facts any detractors are just hating. Like Malcolm said "History is a just reward for all research" and thats what Ivan Van Sertima presents in one of his best works on Moor culture. I would recommend this book along with "The Huevolution of Sacred Muur Science Past and Present" by Noble Timothy Myers-EL (2005)

Historically incorrect revisionism.......2006-02-02

Since when does one have to be historically incorrect in order to be politically correct? I bought this book in order to get some good history on the Maghrib area, the Imazighren peoples generally do not have much written history except that which is in Arabic (Ibn Battuta, Ibn Khaldun, etc) or by the French colonizers. I have travelled throughout Morroco and am very much interested in the Sahrawi cause.

Ivan Sertima is no help in sorting out that history because his knowledge of the area seems like it came from armchair readings. The Introduction sets out on the first page to explain an African dynasty in Spain. But Van Sertima doesn't have any name other than which the Romans gave him "Batrikus". Now these are the same Romans who had no knowledge of the trans-Atlantic world, no Arabic science, and no way of knowing what the hell they were talking about! So much for the alleged facts of Batrikus and his Spanish dynasty.

But that is not all. Van Sertima is not clear about what name to give these Batrikus people...so we can just call them "Van Sertima batrikanii" or whatever. In the next paragraph Van Sertima tells us that "They settled in that part of the country between their place of the landing in the west, and the country of the Franks in the east." But there were no Franks in Spain!!! The Franks were in Gaul. The Visigiths were in Spain, but they didn't get there until later. They did not convert to Christianity until King Recared in 589 CE. In Gaul, the Frankish King Clovis had already converted in 486 CE. But Van Sertima says that the Romans arrived 157 years later. Later? Later than what year? Van Sertima does not answer this because you can't put exact dates on mythological characters, right?

Then Van Sertima fabricates a story about a certain Taharka from Ethiopia and/or Egypt and calls the Roman city Tarraco (in Spain) his geographical namesake. Again, there is no proof so he calls on a XVIth century Christian imperialist pseudo-historian Florian de Ocampo to justify this legend! Imagine that! It's like calling on Hitler to give accurate information about Jewish history. Talk about "asenine ignorance" (Van Sertima, 9) In the next paragraph, Van Sertima is sure that Napoleon "L'Afrique commence aux Pyrenees," but agin the origin of this saying is still in dispute. You can be sure it was not a racist comment though, it was entirely imperialist. Next: the origin of the word 'maures' is still in dispute, but Sertima thinks it has too do with skin color since that is all he seems to be able to see. In fact the Sahrawis are, and have always been, mixed with a full range of beautiful skin shades from dark to very light. Color only matters if you care...good history really matters to a good historian. I am astonished that Van Sertima uses the term "berber" since it is so imperialist. The real name of these peoples is Imazighren, pl. for Amazigh ("Free men"). But this is coming from a man who believes that Fez and Marrakesh are port cities (4), but they are land-locked!!! Unless Van Sertima knows about a port in the middle of the desert.

My charges are not against the idea of raising consciousness about African contributions to civilization, that record stands for itself. What I am against is the bungling of dates, geography, and the poor reasoning skills Van Sertima displays. Yet I do think the work on the whole is valuable if it helps raise consciousness. The essays by Carew, Reynolds, and especially Chinyelu are really great, but Pimienta-Bey is a little extreme. Don't take Van Sertima's word for it, study widely in the field and cultivate open-mindedness and diversity not propaganda. After all, Van Sertima doesn't even think Diop is always correct.

1453: THE HOLY WAR FOR CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE CLASH OF ISLAM AND THE WEST

Average customer rating:

Great Read
Pushed my buttons.
Informative
1453........then and now
great read for the casual reader

1453: THE HOLY WAR FOR CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE CLASH OF ISLAM AND THE WEST
Roger Crowley
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1401301916
Release Date: 2005-08-10

Book Description

A complete and compelling account of the fall of Constantinople, the siege that gave rise to today's jihad.

When Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, a remarkable era in world history ended. Constantinople, the "city of the world's desire," was a wealthy, imperial, intimidating, and Christian city, influencing world opinion for a thousand years. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantium Empire and the end of the medieval era. Thereafter, two worlds would rise -- that of the West and that of the Middle East.

1453 is brought to life by the stories of its two ambitious battling leaders-Mehmed II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Constantine XI, the 57th emperor of Byzantium. It is a vivid, intense tale of courage and cruelty, of technological ingenuity, of endurance and luck. Impeccably researched and told as a real-life adventure, the book explores the issues that led up to and resulted from the fall of Constantinople in a way that is easily grasped and jumps from the pages into the headlines of world news. 1453 is the story of a moment of change that has new relevance today -- a crucial link in the chain of events that besets the modern world.

Customer Reviews:

Great Read.......2007-09-22

Just an excellent book. The author writing style really helps you imagine in your minds eye the scenes he's describing.

Pushed my buttons........2007-08-22

I'll give this book 3 stars out of charity, and because it may succeed as a work of popular history; indeed, most readers will be satisfied with it.

I can't write an exhaustive review, because I quit reading at p.32,when Crowley says that "the Ottomans ruled their subjects with a light hand. . . . No attempts were made to convert Christians . . ." etc. Ask anyone who's lived under Ottoman rule,if you can still find one of these venerable folk, or talk to their descendants. You'll get a different picture of the situation. Crowley himself describes some of the horrors of the siege, inflicted by these "tolerant" Muslims.

It is true that some Ottoman officials developed a liberal laissez-faire attitude toward the Christians--either out of Levantine indolence or practical intelligence: why harass honest and industrious people? Plus, they pay taxes through the nose. And even Sultan Mehmed II was lenient towards the Christians once he had established his rule. Still, the many horrors remain.

If I'd been at home while reading this book, I would have thrown it across the room. As it was, I was in the car and merely commented on the nonsense to my companions.

Gentle reader, if you really want to learn about the Fall of Constaninople, read Runciman, or Sir Edwin Pears, if you can find his book. Also, the translations of the chronicles of the time.

Informative.......2007-08-13

A more technical treatment of the subject than Sir Steven Runciman's The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Canto), but I have to admit that I prefer the style of Sir Runciman. What Sir Runciman neglected in detail, Mr. Crowley has provided. But, at the same time, there were points where Mr. Crowley seemed overly concerned with parallels to today (implied somewhat in the subtitle). Despite that minor criticism it is likely the very thing other readers will enjoy about the book. Mr. Crowley also recently did a fine article in Military History magazine concerning the fall of Constantinople and I would recommend that as well for thorough technical detail. This is a thorough and enjoyable work and an important contribution to understanding the last days of Constaniople.

1453........then and now.......2007-07-31

The name Constantinople has always conjured up vague images for me - mystery, grandeur, historical wonder. However, 1453 has expanded my understanding of the city as well as the role it played in world history. Crowley covers the siege and attack of Constantinople by the Turks in 1543. The invasion has truly changed the geopolitical landscape of Europe and Asia since that time. This was truly a Holy War - a fight both between Islam and Christianity, as well as a fight within factions of Christianity. It also highlights the great differences between the understandings of the human condition between these world religions. Neither is innocent and neither is patently evil, but they are very different. Crowley speaks about these differences and the background issues in light of the battle, placing them all in an easily accessible light.

After reading 1453, I find myself realizing that the battles of 1453 have similarities to the battles of the 21st century. The cultural battles are still very similar. The geopolitical issues are still in flux. This view helped make the book even more meaningful today.

great read for the casual reader.......2007-05-15

this book really does a good job of telling the story and focusing both upon the personalities involved and the way that life was for the people in constantinople at the time. it has the right level of depth for someone who's interested in history but is not a specialist.

When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World: The Rise And Fall of Islam's Greatest Dynasty

Average customer rating:

Great Introduction
Needed a few more details to make it perfect
An Era I Knew Little About
Fabulous history
Rivetting narrative

When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World: The Rise And Fall of Islam's Greatest Dynasty
Hugh Kennedy
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306814803

Book Description

"A beautifully written and definitive history of Baghdad...opening the doors to the old city and letting its secrets spill out." (Library Journal)

The "golden age of Islam" in the eighth and ninth centuries was as significant to world history as the Roman Empire was in the first and second centuries. The rule of Baghdad's Abbasid Dynasty stretched from Tunisia to India, and its legacy influenced politics and society for years to come. In this deftly woven narrative, Hugh Kennedy introduces us to the rich history and flourishing culture of the period, and the men and women of the palaces at Baghdad and Samarra-the caliphs, viziers, eunuchs, and women of the harem that produced the glorious days of the Arabian Nights.

"Superb...this is compelling reading for anyone concerned with the perils of power, the medieval Islamic legacy and the images that Baghdad continues to conjure in the modern imagination." (Publishers Weekly starred review)

Customer Reviews:

Great Introduction.......2007-09-05

This is one of the best history books that I have read. The best thing about it is that it reads like a novel. When you start reading it you cant stop because you really want to know what happens next, and most of the time I already knew what was going to happen!

Needed a few more details to make it perfect.......2006-08-08

Hugh Kennedy has done a wonderful job here of writing about one of the greatest dynasties in history. The history is comprehensive providing details about the caliphs, the battles for successions, their harems, the names of important men in each reign, and court intrigues etc., The book is very easy to read and at no point does the reader lose interest. In spite of breaking up the narration, of successive reigns and interspersing it with descriptions of court culture and palaces built by the rulers, the author has maintained a wonderful flow in the book.
My only disappointment was that the author did not provide more indepth information on 1. the famous libraries of Baghdad and 2. the economic and financial system prevalent at the time. I looked in vain for details of trading markets and goods brought in to Baghdad at the time and for any mention of the modus operandi of monetary transactions.
However, the book is still one of the most comprehensive English Language histories of the dynasty that I have come accross.

An Era I Knew Little About.......2006-06-07

So much of the study of history is concerned with dates. I can remember in college with cram sheets of when things happened. Mr. Kennedy doesn't write much of dates. He writes of people, people living more than a thousand years ago when our own western history was in a period we call the dark ages when learning was forgotten and the Roman Catholic church ruled all.

This was the time when the Shia and the Sunni were falling apart and beginning the conflict that rages to this day (In the morning paper a group of terrorists in Iraq stopped a bus or two, let the Sunni people go and murdered the Shia.)

This was the time that Osama bin Laden seeks to re-establish. An old glory such as Mussolini felt about Roman times.

For a couple of centuries a family ruled most of the Islamic world from Baghdad. For those of us more familiar with the antics of the kings of England there is a striking resemblance, palace intrigue, key supporters changing sides, murder, imprisonment, struggles over succession.

This book brings to life an aspect of history that few of us have heard before but which is increasing in importance in our time.

Fabulous history.......2006-02-15

I studied the medieval Islamic world a little in college, and fell in love. It's a fascinating age in which Central Asian Buddhists, North African nomads, Ethiopian slaves, Greek cave-dwellers, Persian aristocrats, Arab bureaucrats and a host of different cultures came together, mixed, wrote wonderful literature, and lived the kind of drama that makes history fun. But it's hard to find anything written about the time that isn't arcane professor babble or Islam 101. (You know, "There are five pillars of Islam..." Snore.)

Here Hugh Kennedy has written the book I always wanted. He wisely concentrates on medieval Islam's golden age, the early Abbasid dynasty, when Baghdad ruled a large portion of the world-and, even more astutely, on the dramatic stories and personalities of the court. Let's face it, you read about the Abbasids because you want to know how the slave girl Khayzuran not only managed to marry the caliph but to quell a military revolt, why her son Harun al-Rashid was immortalized in The Arabian Nights, and why the all-powerful Barmakid family suddenly fell from grace to prison and execution. Kennedy brings the caliphs and their families to life. He's up front about the fact that the book is about aristocrats, but the common people of Baghdad, the "pickpockets and sellers of cheap sweets" who fought back when their city was besieged, and the middle class who developed Islamic tradition dance around the edge of the narrative.

Kennedy doesn't believe everything he reads, and doesn't think you will either. He repeats stories-like the "harem intrigue" tales, in which devious women are blamed for various deaths-that are almost certainly not true, but tell us something about the people who believed them, and are still enormously entertaining. He also is frank about the same-sex relationships, male and female, that were a part of the era's culture, without the awkwardness of many modern historians. And he's smart enough to explain the geography-why southern Iraq could support such a fabulously wealthy monarchy, and why the Afghanistan/NE Iran region was so critical to the faraway Middle East-in a way an American can understand. Very rare for books on Islamic history, the book boasts an excellent map, naming both cities and regions-invaluable for a hapless Westerner who doesn't know where the major cities of Iran are today, never mind where long-gone kingdoms like Yamama and Ushrusana used to be. There's also a surprisingly good index (another rarity).

The book isn't flawless. Kennedy twice awkwardly interrupts his straightforward account of political events with fascinating chapters on aspects of court culture-palaces, poetry, science, and (my favorite) women's lives. Unfortunately, this structure means the reader learns about the palace Mutawakkil built before she knows enough about him to care, and doesn't hear anything about Ma'mun patronage of scientific research until long after he's dead in the main narrative. The last chapter goes into far too much detail about the depressing downfall of the dynasty, short-changing a more interesting discussion about its legacy. But all in all Kennedy does a great job, and I for one plan down to hunt down his earlier books.

If you know nothing about Islamic history and want an accessible introduction to an fascinating period, or like me know a little and want to learn more, I highly recommend this book.

Rivetting narrative.......2006-01-14

This purely popular tale of the Baghdad Abbasid Caliphate is a wonderful book, full of splendor and tales of the times of the Caliphs, the Harem, early Islam, the founding of modern Baghdad, luxury, corruption, bad governance, murder, passion, rape, affluence gone wild, gluttony, exorbitance, decadence and political failure.

The Abbasids were the first dynasty following the first four `righteous' caliphs(Bakr, Omar, Uthman, Ali) who followed the death of Mohammed. The movement of the capital of Islam to Baghdad symbolized the secular transference of temporal power from its religious foundations into a colonial capital of imperial Islam, after-all the region around Baghdad, modern day Iraq, then Mesopotamia, was a country full of Jews, Zoroastrians, Pagans, Assyrian Christians, Nestorians, Jacobites, Gnosts and others. Muslims were a minority in this land. Baghdad was a new city created to rule a colonial empire that was recently created. The empire that the Abbasids ruled was wealthy beyond belief, corrupt, licentious, full of slander, moral turpitude and court scandals. This excellent tale of this period doesn't really shed light on the modern `conflict' as claimed but it is an excellent fascinating tale, unfortunately it doesn't follow the narrative of Baghdad through to its destruction by the Mongols, but only to the replacement of the Abbasids by the Fatamids who rode to power on the backs of Turkic immigrant warriors from the east, see the book `black banners from the east' for a narrative of the rise of the Fatamids. If this sheds light on anything to do with Islam and modern times it shows that fundamentalist Islam's accusations of Western power, wealth and immorality, are mirrored in the actions of early Islam, which resembled the modern day west far more than modern day Islam, an irony. Islam in the 8th century was far from the fundamentalist form we see today, however there is nothing admirable in its use of Harems and slavery.

Seth J. Frantzman

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The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives
Hillenbrand's The Crsuades: Islamic Perspectives
A Wonderful Resource

The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives
Car Hillenbrand
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415929148

Book Description

Nine hundred years after the Crusader capture of Jerusalem, Carole Hillenbrand shows us the other side of conquest. This comprehensive work of cultural history gives us something we have never had: a view of the Crusades as seen through Muslim eyes. With breathtaking command of medieval Muslim sources as well as the vast literature on medieval European and Muslim culture, Carole Hillenbrand has produced a book that shows not only how the Crusades were perceived by the Muslims, but how the Crusades affected the Muslim world - militarily, culturally, and psychologically. As the author persuasively demonstrates, that influence continues now, centuries after the events.

In The Crusades the reader discovers how the Muslims reacted to the Franks, and how Muslim populations were displaced, the ensuing period of jihad, the careers of Nur al-Din and Saladin, and the interpenetration of Muslim and Christian cultures. Stereotypes of the Franks in Muslim documents offer a fascinating counter to Western views of the infidel of legend.

For readers interested in the Middle Ages, military history, the history of religion, and postcolonial studies, The Crusades opens a window onto a conflict we have only viewed from one side.

The Crusades is richly illustrated, with eighteen color plates and over five hundred line drawings and black and white photographs.

Customer Reviews:

The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives.......2001-06-19

This is the best-produced academic paperback I have ever seen. The book is wonderfully illustrated. The photographs are supplemented by hundreds of intriguing drawings in the wide margins. The text is spaciously presented and easy to read. I found zero typographical errors in more than six hundred pages of text, a delight in these days of hasty editing. Hillenbrand's writing is clear, straightforward, and balanced. The book presents a much-needed new perspective on the Crusades. Five stars.

Hillenbrand's The Crsuades: Islamic Perspectives.......2000-09-20

This book is an excellent review of the most up-to-date knowledge we have about contemporary Islamic persepctives on the "Wars of the Cross." The author carefully sets our her purpose in writing this work, which includes both Muslim sources for the major figures and events, as well as Muslim perceptions of the Crusaders and how the Crusades have influenced Middle Eastern history. Anyone wishing to learn fully about this time period must read this work.

A Wonderful Resource.......2000-06-17

I have only skimmed the surface of this book, yet am very impressed. The bibliography alone is a treasure for anyone studying the Crusades. It's arranged so that the translated chronicles are used to illustrate points in the narrative. The index is detailed and useful, while the narrative itself is easy to read and divided into subsections within the chapters (for example: Old Frankish Women, Marriage, Medicine etc.) A welcome addition to Crusades scholarship, especially for students/readers who cannot read the originals.

Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World

Average customer rating:

Mixed Bag, Lots of great stuff, some glitter
It's a bird! It's a plane!
Heady reading
Overly dramatic
A spirited, riveting account blends ancient and modern worlds

Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World
Justin Marozzi
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 030681465X

Book Description

A powerful account of the life of Tamerlane the Great (1336-1405), the last great Mongol conqueror of Central Asia, ruler of a vast empire, and one of history's most brutal tyrants

Tamerlane, aka Temur-the Mongol successor to Genghis Khan-ranks with Alexander the Great as one of the world's great conquerors, yet the details of his life are scarcely known in the West. Born in obscurity and poverty, he rose to become a fierce tribal leader, and with that his dominion and power grew with astonishing speed. He blazed through Asia, razing cities to the ground. He tortured conquered inhabitants without mercy, sometimes ordering them buried alive, at other times decapitating them. Over the ruins of conquered Baghdad, Tamerlane had his soldiers erect a pyramid of 90,000 enemy heads. As he and his armies swept through Central Asia, sacking, and then rebuilding cities, Tamerlane gradually imposed an iron rule and a refined culture over a vast territory-from the steppes of Asia to the Syrian coastline.

Justin Marozzi traveled in the footsteps of this fearsome emperor of Samarkand (modern-day Uzbekistan) to write this book, which is part history, part travelogue. He carefully follows the path of this infamous and enigmatic conqueror, recounting the history and the story of this cruel, cultivated, and indomitable warrior.

Customer Reviews:

Mixed Bag, Lots of great stuff, some glitter.......2007-10-02

Marozzi has done a lot of work and there is a lot of great stuff in here. At times he seems to get carried away and feel that he was writing a Hollywood script, it makes the book a cross between a novel and a work of history. But don't get me wrong, he seems to know his subject well. The title is misleading as was the man himself. Tamur used Islam as and when it served his purpose and so implying that he was enforcing Islam is wrong. Tamur killed Sunni's and Shi'as just as happily as he killed people of other faith. Marozzi's treatment of Tamur Lung (the right way of saying the name) reminds me of Mel Gibson's cheap tricks with Christ, throw in a lot of gore and people will buy it to be shocked. Both seem to ignore the context of time. Then every now and then Marozzi throws in a few pages of utmost brilliance like when he boldly states: "Europe of that time was backwater" I doubt how many historians missed that part. He is a great story teller and reads like James Mitchner, just not as gripping. His talks about his travels seem a bit weak and not very interesting. But having said that, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in military history, Tartars, wars in Islamic world and I am sure I will read this book again someday. His map in the beginning is great, but then he chooses to throw some black and white pictures instead of more maps.

It's a bird! It's a plane!.......2007-06-05

In principle the idea to make a mix of a travel book with a history book does not sound so bad - but it does not quite work in this case. The author's travels have little historical relevance, are wordy, and in most (not all) cases simply detract. I ended up just skipping them. The historical part itself is somewhat better, but is badly in the need of editing. The author apparently can't decide whether to give a chronological narrative, and runs back and forth in time with confusing consequences. The citations from contemporary sources are far too long, especially ones from the Spanish Ambassador, whose story of travel to meet Temur is told in similar words at least three times throughout the book. I fully agree with a previous reviewer about too many pages (the whole chapter, actually) being devoted to analysis of the Marlowe play - with no useful information, whatsoever. I would advise to skip the whole chapter, but, confusingly, quite a few pages in the middle and the end of the chapter "forget" about Marlowe and just address Temur himself. Adding to a feel of unfinishness are the maps: they are never referred to in the text, are somewhat redundant, and randomly distributed throughout the book.
On a historical level, although the author, to his credit, does not diminish the atrocities caused by this monster, still, the author clearly finds Temur a more positive figure than the book itself portrays, emphasizing his building legacy and patronage of arts. I am sure this came as a great relief to hundreds of thousands slaughtered by Temur's orders in most cruel manner, in cold blood.
Still, overall, much of this book reads relatively well, and it's only one currently available. Maybe the author will tweak the next edition to make it better......

Heady reading.......2006-11-16

It might be inappropriate to say I >enjoyed < a book about a protagonist who decorated the scenes of his victories with pyramids of skulls. However, the book is absorbing. The author writes well, with skill, knowledge, and at times quiet humor. His comments on conditions in Temur's lands today were very interesting, connecting the past to the present.

I probably had better than average knowledge of Temur, knew about his coffin lid, and so forth, but my knowledge was, at best sketchy. Didn't Handel have a hand in writing an opera about him? I had never figured out what Mongols were doing ruling India. This book filled in vivid details about this fascinating, but almost forgotten, page of history.

Fortunately, my decision to buy the book was not influenced by the reviewer who complains about Marozzi's use of Marlowe's play. Actually, the play figures very briefly in the book. It provides an intriguing contrast of the perception or dramatization of Temur and the historical facts. For that matter, I wish he had commented on Handel's opera, too.

Readers are sure to ... well, I shouldn't say enjoy it, but you will want to read this book.

Overly dramatic.......2006-07-20

Marozzi keeps using phrases such as gold and precious stones, and uses repetitive dramatic language to describe every battle. The book is interesting in spite of the unsophisticated writing.

A spirited, riveting account blends ancient and modern worlds.......2006-05-23

Tamerlane was the lost nomadic warlord and his achievements ranks him with Alexander the Great in power and domination - yet his name is little known today. That's why TAMERLANE: SWORD OF ISLAM, CONQUREROR OF THE WORLD is so important: it tells of a fierce tribal leader who tortured and killed without mercy, whose soldiers erected a pyramid of some 90K enemy heads, and whose iron rule ran from Asia to Syria. Journalist Justin Marozzi has traveled throughout the Muslim world gathering information for this history/travelogue: TAMERLANE comes packed not only with source material information but with the first-person experiences of the author's travels in search of it. A spirited, riveting account blends ancient and modern worlds.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Average customer rating:

Tragic Downfall of the "Ornament of the World"
Probably the best popular work on the topic
Bold claims with no justifications
A gem, excellent, something for everyone
Arabs and Moors in Spain

Moorish Spain
Richard Fletcher
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0520248406

Book Description

Beginning in the year 711 and continuing for nearly a thousand years, the Islamic presence survived in Spain, at times flourishing, and at other times dwindling into warring fiefdoms. But the culture and science thereby brought to Spain, including long-buried knowledge from Greece, largely forgotten during Europe's Dark Ages, was to have an enduring impact on the country as it emerged into the modern era. In this gracefully written history, Richard Fletcher reveals the Moorish culture in all its fascinating disparity and gives us history at its best: here is vivid storytelling by a renowned scholar.

Customer Reviews:

Tragic Downfall of the "Ornament of the World".......2006-10-21

A previous reviewer for Amazon has compared Maria Rosa Menocal's THE ORNAMENT OF THE WORLD unfavorably to Richard Fletcher's MOORISH SPAIN. By contrast, I find them quite complementary. The difference is a matter of style: Menocal's book is philosophical, impressionistic, attempting to penetrate the "essence" of Muslim Spain, which she views as a "toleration of contradictions" and provide a vivid portrait of some of the individuals whom it produced. Fletcher's work is by contrast a conventional narrative history, although certainly a well-written one. One comes away from both books with the same conclusion: that compared with its contemporaries (as well as what was to come in Spain), Al Andalus was remarkable for its religious tolerance, aesthetic sensibility, and scholarly and scientific achievements. Its contribution to Western civilization was so great that we should really speak of our "Judeo-Christian-Islamic heritage" instead of just our "Judeo-Chrisian" one. That Fletcher chooses, in his final chapter, to negate all that he has said in his previous ones by judging Al-Andalus by standards which did not even exist until the Enlightenment is the book's greatest fault, and cost him a star, for surely the rest of the book deserves five.
There are of course other differences between the books. Having read Menocal first, I was under the impression that the Umayyad heir, Abd Al Rahman, crossed over to the Iberian peninsula in 711 and established his caliphate immediately in defiance of the Abbassid one in Baghdad, for in her quest for the essence of the culture, Menocal places little emphasis on the bare facts. But from Fletcher I have learned that the first Muslim to cross over from Africa to Europe was a certain Tariq, who led one of those periodic upsurges of Berber conquest which occurred for reasons well analyzed by Ibn Khaldun (see p. 106) and who gave his name to Gibralter, which comes from the Arabic Jebel al Tariq or the Rock of Tariq. And it seems the Umayyads did not dare to establish their own caliphate until the tenth century. But these are minor details. More important is the puzzle of the contradiction between Menocal's and Fletcher's characterizations of Peter the Venerable, abbot of Cluny: was he a proponent of the crusades, as Fletcher argues on p. 154, or an opponent of them, as Menocal argues on p. 184 of her book? As he sought out a translation of the Quran before condemning it as did most of his contemporaries, I'm inclined to believe Menocal. But Fletcher comes out ahead in his evaluation of the feuding taifa city-states which succeeded the Cordoban caliphate. With her ahistorical focus on the "essence" of Al Andalus, Menocal views these as merely chips of the broken gem of the Cordoban kingdom, carrying on in some small measure its glory. With the historical sweep of his vision, Fletcher grasps the fact that the collapse of the caliphate left it dangerously vulnerable, first to fundamentalist Berber conquerors and later, more ominously, to the Christian kingdoms to the north. These practiced a policy of "divide and conquer", until there was only one Muslim kingdom left, Granada, which fell to the most ruthlessly intolerant of Christian monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, with catastrophic results for both Jews and Muslims and repercussions which echo down to our own day.

Probably the best popular work on the topic.......2006-10-04

Richard Fletcher's "Moorish Spain" is a refreshing tonic against the plethora of books on Islamic Spain idealizing the supposed 'Convivencia' (especially, "The Ornament of the World" by Maria Rosa Menocal). Fletcher avoids the tendency among many scholars who wish to find an apt, hopeful (albeit unrealistic) Christian-Islamic modus vivendi for Europe's present-day demographic predicament based on a romaticized model of medieval Spain. Presented in a well-researched, matter-of-fact fashion, the 'good' is presented in the context of the 'bad and the ugly'.

Bold claims with no justifications.......2006-07-21

In the beginning of the book, the author claims that his book is intended for the casual reader rather than an academic reader. However, the conclusion he makes in the end and the methodology he used to reach his conclusions are flawed.

As an observer or casual writer, a writer's merit decreases significantly when he makes bold statements without any backing or evidence. For example, it's surprising that the author claims that Cordoba was not such a great city, contradicting most of the academic studies in this field.

I was more surprised when the author only glimpsed over the Inquisition and no details were provided.

And lastly, how could an author write about Andalusia without referring to any historical Arabic books written in Andalusia in that period? His only reliance, it seemed, was on books written by few monks or abbots. This is a biased approach.

A gem, excellent, something for everyone.......2005-09-13

This is a little gem of a book. Coming in at just 175 pages in my edition, it manages to convey the feel of the time period more vividly than much longer books with detailed narratives. Although it is written primarily as an introduction for the general reader, I think more serious readers will find Fletcher's perspective useful and don't have much of an excuse for not reading it. It discusses interesting political themes of the period, such as ethnic tensions between Arabs and Berbers, as well as dedicating substantial attention to relations between Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Moorish Spain.

Chapters are arranged mostly chronologically but some are thematic. There are chapters, for example, on the invasion, Caliphate period, the taifa kingdoms, the Almoravid/Almohad period, as well as the Nasrids. This helps the reader keep the broad historical outline in mind while sparing readers who don't want too much narrative detail.

A major success of the book is the excellent use of primary sources. Fletcher is not afraid to dedicate regularly half of a page or more to a well selected quotation. These are excellent for conjuring up the flavor of the time period and also illustrate the difficulties that the historian faces when trying to write history based on documents that are sometimes difficult or sparse.

Some histories of this time period seem to take a romanticized opinion of Moorish culture, depicting it as a time of harmony between Muslims, Christians, and Jews as well as a period of great cultural and scientific achievements. While there doubtless were great achievements and relative harmony during this period, the author goes to lengths to avoid an overly rosy view. He points out that, while Christians and Jews were provided religious toleration, they did not have full political equality at any time nor did many people take an active interest in learning about their neighbors' religions. This seems like a useful corrective.

I highly recommend this book. I doubt you will be disappointed and, even if you are, the shortness of the book means you will not feel like you have wasted much time.

[The following autobiographical information is provided to help you decide how much to trust my review. I am not a professional historian but read history extensively for entertainment. I have read 8 or 9 books on Spanish history, although only 3 or 4 treated the medieval time period. I have been to Spain twice.]

Arabs and Moors in Spain.......2005-05-22

Richard Fletcher's MOORISH SPAIN is an excellent addition to the library shelf holding Bovill's GOLDEN TRADE OF THE MOORS and Peter Russell's PRINCE HENRY 'THE NAVIGATOR': A life. The book is an easy and enjoyable read, but probably intended more for the lay reader than for scholars of al-Andalus (indeed, the author states that the work "is intended as an introduction to the history and culture of Islamic Spain" which lays "no claim to deep or original scholarship" which explains why it only includes a list of recommended reading rather than a complete bibliography with chapter sources). That being said, the book should deepen the understanding of the general reader.

Fletcher details the Islamic, Arab-led Berber invasion of Visgothic Spain (formerly a Roman territory) from northern Africa in 711 (after the conquest of northern Africa). We are informed that in large part the conquest was intended to further the Islamicization of the Berbers. Many of the cities were originally surrounded and reached an accomodation with the invaders allowing the continued existence of djimmis of Christians. Those which did not were crushed and the lands of those who made any attempt to oppose the invasion were taken and redistributed (with the Arabs getting the most arable land and the Berbers getting the remnants). Captives were either ransomed or - if too poor or otherwise unable to pay ransom - sold into slavery. Conversion from Christianity meant an opportunity to advance oneself and to avoid periodic outbreaks of anti-Christian violence. In the meanwhile, the conquest was pushed back from those northernmost areas considered least habitable, setting the stage for the slow "reconquest" of Spain.

Following Arab-Berber conflict, a descendant of the expelled Umayyad dynasty took control of Cordoba and his descendants, including the blue-eyed, red- (except when dyed)haired Rahman III who also had the blood of enslaved Christian concubines and hostages. The rule of the Amir of Cordoba extended to cover al-Andalus and he took the title of Caliph. During this time, periodic "crusades" and slave raids took place against inhospitable northern (and Christian) Spain while the Islamic conquest of Christian lands (as in Sicily) continued. Despite this, the weak Christian states of the north slowly began extending southward. Then in the 11th Century, civil war erupted in al-Andalus, resulting in the eventual establishment of various independent ethnic states (taifas).

These taifa states were slowly consolidated leaving 6 major states: Seville, Granada, Bajajoz, Toledo, Valencia & Zaragoza in which the arts and crafts blossomed. On the other hand, instead of al-Andalus interfering in the affairs of client states in the Christian north, the Christian kings and counts began interfering in the affairs of the taifa states while the al-Andalusian influence in northern Africa waned. Then a new wave of invasions occurred as the Almoravid fundamentalists came to buttress the Spanish Islamic states against the Christians. Shortly thereafter, the Almohads entered Spain took control of the Islamic states but lost ground to the Christians as they continued to push southward from the 11th to the end of the 15th Centuries. The last chapters deal with the existence and fall of the kingdom of Granada, last of the Islamic states in al-Andalus. Here we see the interactions and tensions between the Spanish Nasrids and the Moroccan Marinids (and the latter's successors, the Fezzans). During this time, an uneasy peace existed between the Nasrids and the Christian Spaniards; however, the Turkish conquest of Constantinople resulted in a determination to complete the Spanish reconquest.

Fletcher touches on the existence of djimmis (or "protected" communities) of Christians and Jews in al-Andalus and of Muslims communities in Christian controlled areas. In both cases, these communities managed to survive and flourish, to some extent, despite their second-class status. These communities were very vulnerable and were often used as tools in Christian-Muslim relations. Just as many Christians in al-Andalus either converted to Islam or immigrated north, so many Muslims in Christian Spain either converted or moved south; however, the Mozearabs (arabized Christians under Muslim control) and the Mudejars (westernized Muslims under Christian control)continued to exist and develop their own, unique cultures. Both groups faced massacres, forced conversions and ethnic cleansing as the powers faced off and as more or less fundamental influence predominated (as with the Almohads and the Inquisition). With the end of Granada, conversion or expulsion eventually became the rule although the Moriscos (often only publically Christian) were expelled in the 1600s due to their sympathies with Turkish Corsairs. The conquest had ended.

The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century

Average customer rating:

know what you're getting
Fabulous, in both senses
There's a new version in paperback.
Easily one of the best nonfiction books i've ever read!
Two books in one

The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century
Ross E. Dunn
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520243854

Book Description

Known as the greatest traveler of premodern times, Abu Abdallah ibn Battuta was born in Morocco in 1304 and educated in Islamic law. At the age of twenty-one, he left home to make the holy pilgrimage to Mecca. This was only the first of a series of extraordinary journeys that spanned nearly three decades and took him not only eastward to India and China but also north to the Volga River valley and south to Tanzania. The narrative of these travels has been known to specialists in Islamic and medieval history for years. Ross E. Dunn's 1986 retelling of these tales, however, was the first work of scholarship to make the legendary traveler's story accessible to a general audience. Now updated with revisions, a new preface, and an updated bibliography, Dunn's classic interprets Ibn Battuta's adventures and places them within the rich, trans-hemispheric cultural setting of medieval Islam.

Customer Reviews:

know what you're getting.......2007-07-10

For the reader interested in understanding the context of ibn Battuta's travels, this is an invaluable reference. Ross juxtaposes the thread of Battuta's journey with the cultural and political history of the regions Battuta explores. The maps are also tremendously helpful and the occassional b&w photo add flavor. The writing style is accessible and enjoyable.

BUT if you want to hear ibn Battuta's story in his own voice, look elsewhere! Ironically, you will not find much of ibn Battuta's voice here. While Ross does use extensive quotes from the tales of many medieval travelers, ibn Battuta's own narrative does not dominate the tone. It seems Ross believes his reader will hold two books in hand, his own and The Travels of ibn Battutah, edited by Tim McKintosh-Smith. And this is exactly what I would recommend to anyone intrigued by this oh-so-intriguing tale.