Customer Reviews

The Golden Age of Persia (History of Civilization (Phoenix))

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3 star:		(2)
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Professor Frye dispell the myth perpetuated by the Islamists as well as europhiles that the classical period in Iranian history was one of meagre achievement. The small volume of extant sources showed a highly sophisticated culture and references to other works during the same period point to a highly literate society. Professor Frye reconstruct Sassanid Persia and identifies it as the source of the Islamic golden age that followed. Beautifully written, this is the book that can be used by any novice to start a soundly grounded historical odyssey as well as by the more experienced reader to correct many of her misconception.

Concentrates on the cultural effects of the Arab invasions and the extent to which Persian culture became a vector for the eastward spread of Islam in the 8th/9th centuries. A rather frustrating book, too detailed for beginners yet not specific enough on any detail to give a real insight to any of the individual historical events of which the theme is a composite. This is a shame as reading between the lines it seems apparent that the author was constrained by editorial pressure rather than lack of fact or interest.
Still as an overview of the achievements of the early Islamic era it is an original piece of scholarship.

This book is a work of very good scholarship and is well reasoned and supported spelling out an important history in Iranian and Islamic history. However, I would not recommend this for the casual historian but rather only to the dedicated student. The prose is quite dry and reading through it can become a chore rather than a delight. If you're looking for a general history stay clear if you need specific details at all costs than by all means buy this book.

Like any excellent scholarly book it leaves unanswered questions that the reader can connect with present-day events. For example, in page 228 wrote "the price of gold soared and the government even had to borrow money from bankers. In the eastern part of the Islamic world silver dirhems were debased, which caused a further rise in prices. The great shortage of silver which lasted for more than two centuries in the Muslim East has been noted by many scholars, but no comprehensive study on the causes and consequences of this shortage has been made."

Simply put, genius and wonderful, thorough scholarship.

This book explains Iranian identity which is like Cypress tree that it bends but does not break. Author of the book brought forward evidences that how Iran was made-up.