Islam in History: Ideas, People, and Events in the Middle East [Paperback]

Bernard Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 1993

From the first expansion of Islam to the exploits of Saddam Hussein, Middle Eastern society has been fatefully involved with the West. This revised and updated collection of essays by a leading Western expert on Islam and the Middle East gives essential background to the present Middle Eastern conflicts and their interaction, through mutual misunderstanding, with Western conceptions. From the first expansion of Islam to the exploits of Saddam Hussein, Middle Eastern society has been fatefully involved with the West. This revised and updated collection of essays by a Western expert on Islam and the Middle East gives valuable background information in relation to the present Middle Eastern conflicts and their interaction, through mutual misunderstanding, with Western conceptions.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Lewis (Near Eastern studies, Emeritus, Princeton Univ.) is noted for his many valuable historical works on the Middle East. This revised and updated collection of historical essays (Alcove, 1973) adds commentary on more recent events such as Anwar Sadat's assassination, the Salman Rushdie controversy, Khomeini's rise to power, and the surprising support of Sadam Hussein by some Arab groups. Nineteen of the original 21 essays have been reworked and combined with 13 additional historical/historiographical essays focused on contemporary events. Lewis's lucid style brings a fresh perspective and understanding to scholar and casual reader alike. Highly recommended.
- Paula I. Nielson, Loyola Marymount Univ. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Bernard Lewis, Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, is considered the leading expert on Islam in the West. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company; Rev Exp edition (April 19, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812692179
• ISBN-13: 978-0812692174
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,493,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When true scholarship proves its worth., December 20, 2001

By 

Sergio Flores (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Islam in History: Ideas, People, and Events in the Middle East (Paperback)

As Professor Lewis states in the Preface to the second edition of this work, "Islam in History" is a collection of thirty-two articles on Islam. Anybody wishing to gain some understanding of this very important, very misunderstood, and very troubled civilization, should read this book. Lewis, once again, provides the reader with a magnificent work that is not pedantic but instructive, that does not belittle its subject nor its audience, and that demonstrates how necessary true scholarship is, particularly in times such as these.

The book is divided into eight parts: Western Approaches, Muslim History and Historians, Muslims and Jews, Turks and Tatars, In Black and White, History and Revolution, New Ideas, and New Events. Since this new edition dates from 1993, the recent developments in the world should not be expected. However, I really meant it when I wrote that true scholarship is necessary in our world: in the last essay of this volume, Lewis writes that there have been basically two atitudes from Muslims to confront the problems of the Islamic/Arab world (he does not deal with the East-Asian Mulims, like Indonesians and Malaysians, because he admits that he does not know much about them), divided into two questions. The first one is "What did we do wrong?" The second is "Who did this to us?" The first question leads to the search for solutions. The second question, and this deserves to be quoted at length, "leads to delusions and fantasies and conspiracy theories--indeed, the most dangerous enemies of the Muslim peoples at this time are those who assure them that in all their troubles the fault is not in themselves but in open or occult hostile forces. Such beliefs can only lead to resentment and frustration, to an endless, useless succession of bigots and tyrants and to a role in world history aptly symbolized by the suicide bomber. In the first of these questions ["What did we do wrong?], for those who have the courage to ask it, and the vision to answer, lies hope for the future and for a new dawn of Muslim creativity."

Professor Lewis wrote those lines in 1993, but they are as relevant today as if he had written them on September 12, 2001. In fact, the last number of "The Atlantic Monthly" has an article by Professor Lewis where he presents this basic premise once more, since it was true a decade ago and it is true today.

I cannot recommend Bernard Lewis's books strongly enough. This one, as all his other books that I have read, is erudite, informative, interesting, serious, entertaining and, above all, important. If you have never read anything by him, but are interested in this book, read his recent article in "The New Yorker" ("The Revolt of Islam"), and the already mentioned article in "The Atlantic." Those articles will serve as an Introduction to "Islam in History." Bernard Lewis is an extraordinary scholar, and we are lucky to have him with us.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Lewis, July 16, 2008

By 

Crayton Silsby (Arlington VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Islam in History: Ideas, People, and Events in the Middle East (Paperback)

Lewis, as always, impresses; breadth of knowledge and research is typically outstanding. Flashes of good judgement, but pretentious and assertive (though mine's apparently an earlier edition: "Ideas, Men and Events...East" and he may've softened tone a touch for 2nd ed.)- and, regardless, it'd certainly be difficult to blame him for this-- the man's a thoroughbred. His philology isn't always accurate, and the spirit is truly 'orientalist' in Said's sense; nonetheless, a terribly enjoyable read and a classic source for a foundation in the subject.
ps- His Babel to Dragomans is even more impressive and should be compulsory.

5.0 out of 5 stars Islamic history, January 10, 2012

By 

Ray S. Yount "Gray Wolf" - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Islam in History: Ideas, People, and Events in the Middle East (Paperback)

Written from a Western point of view, this book attempts a balanced look at Islam. It takes a linguistic view at the processes and presents Arabic terms that describes those processes.