The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) [Hardcover]

Francis Robinson (Editor), Ira M. Lapidus (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521435102 | ISBN-13: 978-0521435109 | Publication Date: June 13, 1996

Islamic peoples account for one fifth of the world's population and yet there is widespread misunderstanding in the West of what Islam really is. Francis Robinson and his team set out to address this, revealing the complex and sometimes contrary nature of Muslim culture. As well as taking on the issues uppermost in everyone's minds, such as the role of religious and political fundamentalism, they demonstrate the importance of commerce; literacy and learning; Islamic art; the effects of immigration, exodus, and conquest; and the roots of current crises in the Middle East, Bosnia, and the Gulf. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the interaction between Islam and the West, from the first Latin translations of the Quran to the fatwa on Salman Rushdie. This elegant book deliberately sets out to dismantle the Western impression of Islam as a monolithic world and replace it with a balanced view, from current issues of fundamentalism to its dynamic culture and art. Francis Robinson is the editor of two outstanding reference works: Atlas of the Islamic World Since 1500 (Cambridge, 1982) and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India (1989).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is a challenging task to describe the contributions of one billion Muslims who inhabit the Middle East and much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia. However, the editor and the contributors of The Islamic World managed to put it all in perspective with accurate information, selective emphasis, and well-chosen photographs distributed fairly and with good taste throughout the book. The subject progession, the easy style of writing, and the black-and-white and color illustrations make the book easy to read, particularly for college students and the general reader." Digest of Middle East Studies

"This book helps to dispel myth and hearsay with solid information about one of the world's most maligned religions. Accessible, interesting, and thorough, this volume serves students who want to be more informed about a religion that is so often in the news." Rebecca Woodcock, University of Exeter

"This richly illustrated volume is one of the first of this growing number of works to make the world of Islam accessible to a wide range of readers while keeping to high standards of scholarship. Written to make the world of Islam readily accessible to the student and general reader, this volume fulfills its aims and makes a generous contribution to the field." International Journal of Middle East Studies

Book Description

With the help of sumptuous illustration, insight, and expertise, Francis Robinson and his team reveal the complex, rich, and sometimes contrary nature of Muslim culture. As well as taking on the issues uppermost in everyone's minds, such as the role of religious and political fundamentalism, they look at commerce, education, art, and the effects of immigration, exodus, and conquest. Emphasis is placed on the interaction between Islam and the West, deliberately to address an impression in the West of Islam as a monolithic culture.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (June 13, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521435102
• ISBN-13: 978-0521435109
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #948,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Intro to Islamic Culture and Belief, January 13, 2004

By 

Zekeriyah (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)

In an age of prejudice towards the Islamic faith, it is nice to see a more accurate and even-handed book covering the Muslim world. This book gives an excellent introduction, going into depth on how the west has viwed the Islamic world, and vice-versca. Then it goes onto the first chapter, where it discusses pre-Islamic Arabia, the life of Mohammad, the Rashidun, the schism between Sunni and Shi'a, and the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. This chapter is especially interesting in laying the framework for the foundations of the Islamic world, as well as the spread of Islam and Arabic culture, and later conversion of non-Arab peoples (most notably the Persians). In the next chapter, the Islamic world from 1000 to 1500 AD is covered, when Islam had spread across the Middle East, west to Spain and west Africa and east towards India and Central Asia. This chapter covers many interesting subjects, such as the Fatimid dynasty, the Crusades, the Mongols, Byzantium and the Turks, and Islamic states in East Asia and Africa. The third chapter covers the period from 1500 to 1800 AD, a period of both great achievements and decline. The Persian, Mongol and Turkish powers are mentioned (such as the Safavids, Mughals and Ottomans), alongside mention of Islam in Africa and elsehwere in Asia (mainly China and Southeast Asia).

The subsequent chapter focuses on the 1800s to the present day, and a growing western presence in Islamic lands. This chapter shows how European powers carved up Islamic lands (the French in Syria and north/west Africa, the Brits in Iraq, Palestine, Egypt and South Asia, the Italians in north Africa, Russians in central Asia, etc), and how Islamicist reformer movements arose because of this. Mention is also made of non-colonized states (such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran), and of the emergence of independant Islamic states. The second section of the book goes more into cultural studies, delving into economies, trade routes and social structure within the Islamic world. Mention is made of both historical traderoutes and interconnectedness in the Islamic world, stretching from Morocco to Indonesia, and of modern economies in predominantly Muslim states. In chapter seven, the book explores learning in Islamic societies. Mention is made of the high degree of literacy in Islam, and the many great scientific achievements in medicine, astronomy and mathematics. Mention is also made of the impact of the west on Islamic learning. This is followed by a chapter on the arts in the Islamic world, ranging from calligraphy to architecture to classical Arabic music (including mention of legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kalthum) and everything in between. This is an excellent chapter for understanding and appreciating Islamic culture.

The book closes out with a conclusion on Islam in the modern world, relationships with the west, the spread of Islam to every country in the world and crises in Bosnia, Palestine, Kashmir and Chechnya. It also has a wonderful timeline covering various Islamic dynasties around the world and a short glossary of Arabic terms. Its quite a nice book for getting to understand some of the basic history and culture of the Islamic world and some of the current issues facing the Islamic world. For the purposes of this book, by the way, the Islamic world counts as any country where the majority of the population is Muslim, not just self-declared Islamic states (which would be limited to Iran, Pakistan, Mauritania and such). Hence it covers almost all of the Middle East, north Africa, Central Asia and much of South Asia, as well as Bosnia, Albania, parts of west and east Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and so forth. In fact, the book makes a point of examining Islam in South Asia, Africa, China and elsewhere beyond the Middle East. It also includes many illustrations and maps of the Islamic world. Hence its an invaluable aid for anyone, Muslim or non-Muslim, in understanding the wonderful history and culture of Islam. However, it doesn't go into depth on beliefs or specific cultures (such as Arabs, Persians, Malay, Mongols and whatnot), so you would need to look elsewhere for that.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Can't Recommend A Purchase, August 28, 2008

By 

Epictetus "Epictetus" (City of London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)

This book is published by the Cambridge University Press and is this promoted, implicitly at least given it title, as an authoritative reference work. It may have great merits as a work of political literature, but it is disappointing as a reference work of history, and it is a surprise to this reader that the Cambridge University Press has apparently lowered its editorial and professional standards so much. There are other works in the Cambridge Illustrated History series that easily meet the normal standards of such a reference work, for example the volume on China.
Two examples of the limitations of this book give a representative picture of its shortcomings. First, in the Introduction, the editor uses the term "heresy" to describe how "western eyes" view the attack of some muslims on the achievements of the Enlightenment. Much of the book seems to be a partisan argument defending one particular, and extreme, muslim doctrine against a particular, and also extreme, non-muslim viewpoint. Leaving aside the question of whether this approach suits a work that is positioned as an authoritative reference book, the choice of the term "heresy" here is unfortunate, and one feels prompted to wonder whether the term was picked deliberately to obscure the main point of the enlightenment, which was to move from revealed religion to rational or scientific exploration of questions where possible. This kind of confusion will happen in the choice of words occasionally in even the best writing, but it is pervasive in this book.
The second example is found a few pages later, in relation to women. The text states that the freedom enjoyed by women in the West has on the whole produced shock among muslim men, and that this freedom "led to moral degeneration." Had the text quoted these words -- " 'led to moral degeneration ' " -- to mean that either this view was stated by some muslim or that the editor takes it to represent an opinion, that could be acceptable in a reference work, but written as an assertion, i.e. a statement of fact or of the author's best impartial judgement, it moves the book from being a reliable reference work to being a polemic or worse.
It is hard to say whether the book's poor quality in many places is as a result of very low standards of editing and writing, or whether the book has a narrow and, one hopes, minority agenda. Some chapters are very good, but on the whole this is not the book that it claims to be, and the potential buyer's money is probably better saved for a different title. It is to be hoped that the management of the CUP will ensure a much better work in the next edition.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Textbook for college class, February 16, 2010

By 

S. Edwards "traveller512" (Austin, TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) (Paperback)

Bought this book for my husband who was taking a college course in Islamic Art and Architecture. This book was comprehensive and quite useful to him. We purchased a used copy that was in excellent condition and delivered quickly.

Would recommend for content, quality and service.