Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power [Paperback]

Prof. Jonathan M. Bloom (Author), Prof. Sheila S. Blair (Author), Sheila Blair (Author), Jonathan Bloom (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300094221 | ISBN-13: 978-0300094220 | Publication Date: February 1, 2002

In its first thousand years - from the revelations given to Muhammad in the 7th century to the great Islamic empires of the 16th - Islamic civilization flourished. While Europeans suffered through the Dark Ages, Muslims in such cities as Jerusalem, Damascus, Alexandria, Fez, Tunis, Cairo and Baghdad made remarkable advances in philosophy, science, medicine, literature and art. This work explores the first millennium of Islamic culture, seeking to shatter stereotypes and enlighten readers about the events and achievements that have shaped contemporary Islamic civilization. Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair examine the rise of Islam, the life of Muhammad, and the Islamic principles of faith. They describe the golden age of the Abbasids, the Mongol invasions, and the great Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires that emerged in their wake. Their narrative, complemented by excerpts of the Koran, poetry, biographies, inscriptions, travel guides, and a 13th-century recipe, concludes with a brief epilogue that takes us into the 20th century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A timely study and important background to understanding the faith of more than one-fifth of the world's population today." John L. Espositio, University Professor, Georgetown University and author of Islam: The Straight Path and editor of The Oxford History of Islam

From the Back Cover

"A timely study and important background to understanding the faith of more than one- fifth of the world's population today."—John L. Esposito, University Professor, Georgetown University and author of Islam: The Straight Path and editor of The Oxford History of Islam

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300094221
• ISBN-13: 978-0300094220
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, January 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power (Paperback)

This is a wonderful introduction to the Islamic Empire and (to some extent) Islam itself. It's meant to be a companion to the PBS video "Islam: Empire of Faith." It covers the same time period (the first 1000 years of Islam), but doesn't have the same exact content as the video. There is some overlap, but not enough to make either the book or the video redundant. This book is written by a husband-and-wife team of professors (historians) at Boston College. This is not dry history, by any means, but a vivid description of Islam and its origins, practices, and political rule. It's not sensationalist and/or imbued with the "Islam as Enemy Number One" mentality that pervades so many modern books about Islam (many of which are written by journalists or other people not qualified to be writing about Islam, Muslims (American or not) and the Muslim world in the first place). It's just fascinating reading about the second largest religion in the world and how it built the most glittering civilization the world had ever seen. The authors themselves say that to understand Islam today, we must focus not on the misdeeds committed by a few in its name, but "appreciate its glorious history and achievements." It doesn't have much on Islamic beliefs and practices or Islam and politics: it really is mostly history. But it's history that puts Islam (modern and past) into perspective and that will (hopefully) help us Westerners put some of myths about Islam finally to rest.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book explains it all!, October 19, 2002

By 

happyflower2008 "happyflower2008" (NH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power (Paperback)

This book is the companion to the PBS movie, Islam: Empire of Faith. I began reading this book, full of stereotypes against Islam. This book really opened my eyes. The whole History of Islam has been filled with misunderstanding. I would recommend this book to any person. It is extremely well written, and it would help anyone to better understand Islam!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides a powerful blend of religious insight and history, February 12, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islam (Hardcover)

Islam provides a powerful blend of religious insight and history, covering a thousand years of Islamic faith and power and exploring the first millennium of Islam culture from ancient to modern times. The world which gave birth to Islam is considered and the changes of Islamic tradition are followed in context with world changes and experiences through the centuries.