Customer Reviews

The Assassin Legends: Myths of the Isma'ilis

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the Head of the Department of Academic Research and Publications at the Institute of Islamic studies it is safe to say that Daftary is the foremost expert and scholar in Ismailism today. What makes this book so compelling is that it dares to defy the age old myths of the so called "Assassins". Few books, if any, have provided readers with this perspective, and Daftary pulls it off exceptionally. While the book may be heavy in names, dates and facts they serve to provide credibility and work to dispel the myths that many have worked hard to create. Finally, a piece that gives competing works a run for their money. Anyone who has read other, older and perhaps more popular works about the "Assassin Terrorist" are highly recommended to read Daftary's works as they make a much more convincing argument. The book also elucidates the origins of myth and folklore and how they develop into acceptable facts with time. With all the negativity surrounding Islam and Ismailism today The Assassin Legends gives an opportunity to step back and look the entire picture. Any real scholar would admit that there are two sides to every story, and to study the Assassins without consulting Daftary's works would be committing a sincere injustice.

This is a very interesting and well researched look at the history of the Isma'ilis, and compliments your Middle-Eastern history shelf nicely. It is essentially a history text, though, and heavy on the names/dates/primary sources, and isn't quite so useful if you're looking for actual legends. It is also clearly biased in favor of the Isma'ilis, which is fair considering most Islamic histories are biases against them. Still, this book is a nice addition to the sect's history, but maybe not the best introduction.

There's no question that Daftary's work -- like Bernard Lewis' -- is essential reading for anyone studying the Ismailis, or the various legends surrounding the so-called hasheeshians, or assassins. I came across Daftary's work and his Institutue of Ismaili Studies in London as I was preparing the first English translation of ALAMUT, Vladimir Bartol's novel of Hasan ibn Sabbah, the original so-called "assassin."

If Daftary's tone appears to be defensive, he's got several centuries of reasons behind him: since Marco Polo swept through Persia and returned to Italy with fantastic and horrific tales of how "no person, however powerful...could escape assassination" at the hands of the "Old Man of the Mountain" and his band of hashish-eating followers, Ismailis have had their work cut out for them. (Bartol's work certainly doesn't help, largely relying as it does on those myths and fabrications.) Taken together with Lewis' work on the subject, Daftary's study offers a compelling argument against Marco Polo and the bread crumbs of myths that followed him back to Italy.

By this detailed book Daftary submerges into 12th century politics. He carefully retells the history of islam and all of its various sects. The Assassins legends are carefully explained and the truth behind the slanders has been brought to light. The middle-age politics were made under the veil of islam in the middle-east back then. The sect's political ambition is to rise against foregin invasion(that is Selcuk rulers)No credit to tales about drugging men into sacrificing their lives for the promise of heaven. This group were made out of then-persian patriots defending their culture as a way of life.All in all a well-written book worth reading several times all over

This book clearly lifts the veil of ignorance from the myths spread by historians and orientalists of the middle ages (fanned further by a lack of research by modern writers) regarding the Grand old man of the mountains.

This book clearly lifts the veil of ignorance from the myths spread by historians and orientalists of the middle ages (fanned further by a lack of research by modern writers) regarding the Grand old man of the mountains.

This book should be required reading for anyone associated with Ismailism ! Negative propoganda and lack of original but unbiased research on Ismailism have portrayed a very negative image on Ismailis - this book provides a basis in remeyding that problem. You will not regret reading this book !