Armies of the Caliphates 862-1098 (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

David Nicolle (Author), Graham Turner (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: November 27, 1998

The 8th century heralded the start of a golden age in the history of the Islamic world. At this time, the Sunni Muslim 'Abbãsid Caliphate, with its capital at Baghdad, ruled virtually the entire Islamic world. Islamic military power peaked in the 9th century, but by the end of this golden age in the 11th century, the 'Abbãsid Caliphs had little political and virtually no military power. Featuring numerous photographs of artefacts and eight full colour plates by Graham Turner, David Nicolle's book examines the recruitment, organization, weaponry and uniforms of the armies of the Caliphates from 862-1098.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

David Nicolle was born in 1944, the son of the illustrator Pat Nicolle. He worked in the BBC Arabic service for a number of years before going 'back to school', gaining an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and a doctorate from Edinburgh University. He later taught world and Islamic art and architectural history at Yarmuk University, Jordan. He has written many books and articles on medieval and Islamic warfare, and has been a prolific author of Osprey titles for many years. David lives and works in Leicestershire, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (November 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855327708
• ISBN-13: 978-1855327702
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.1 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #750,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There should be more on the strategy and tactics, March 26, 2000

By 

"muslimhistorian" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Armies of the Caliphates 862-1098 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

The book is excellent enough for an introduction to the inquiry for it is done by the leading and creative researcher on the much neglected field. Although limited by the size, not enough emphasizing was written into the strategy and tactics unique to the armies of the Islamic Caliphates. They were arguably the offseting balance that gave the Arabs serious advantage over the much heavier armored Byzantines, Persians, or even the Franks later during the crusades. A must for beginners, but not enough for the scholarly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Armies of the Caliphates, January 20, 2008

By 

K. Murphy "Fortune favors the Bold" (The thriving metropolis of Masury, OH) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Armies of the Caliphates 862-1098 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This Osprey title is a study of the armament, tactics, and uniforms of the soldiers that served in the Abbasid and Fatimid Caliphates 862-1098. The author David Nicolle needs little introduction as Osprey's most prolific author on medieval and Islamic topics. Graham Turner, as usual, does an excellent job with the color plates.

As usual Nicolle deals with the army organization and the weapons of the soldiers in detail. This title actually deals more with the battle tactics than most other men-at-arms titles do, and also takes an insightful look at the naval warfare of the time. Overall, it is another Osprey book by David Nicolle that breathes life into a Medieval Islamic Army in a manner that is both informative and entertaining.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but not great, July 22, 2000

By 

Dilip Susruta Samarasinghe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Armies of the Caliphates 862-1098 (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This book is a little disappointing as it has a number of photos which do not seem directly relevent to the subject. Why for example are chess pieces used as examples of soldiers's uniforms as they are very stylised? Or take the clothing in Russian museum collections. The text is good like most of the work of this author which I have read and the illustrations of the many Islamic and Non-Islamic soldiers who fought for the Caliphates are well executed.