Customer Reviews

The Golden Age of Islam (Cultures of the Past)

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Previewed this book while doing research on the seige of Damascus in 634. The Author says that Damascus fell after a six month siege in 635. In actual fact, it fell after a one month seige in 634. The details of this event were completely ignored, the attack of the relief column from Antioch, the fact that the city surrendered to Ubaidah after Khalid gained entry to the city, and that there was an argument between Ubaidah and Khalid about whether the city should be sacked or not. 10,000 inhabitants were allowed to leave the city under a 3-day truce, and then were run down and butchered by Khalid when the truce expired.

This shoddy scholarship is worse than worthless when discussing the expansion of Islam in the present political climate. Western students should not be allowed to be taught this sort of whitewash of the facts surrounding the rise of Islam. I do not recommend this work, on the basis of very poor scholarship, and an apologetic approach tot he rise of Islam.