Medieval Persia, 1040-1797 (History of the Near East) [Paperback]

David Morgan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582493242 | ISBN-13: 978-0582493247 | Publication Date: March 1988 | Edition: 1

The medieval period of Persia's remarkably continuous, history began with its conquest by the Muslim Arabs in the seventh century AD and gave way to the modern period at the end of the eighteenth century when the influence of the West became pervasive. Without an understanding of the confused legacy of these centuries, no-one can hope to understand the complexities and dynamism of modern Iran. Concise, clear and colourful, David Morgan's book is the best and most up-to-date short account of its subject in the English language.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'xxx; this is indeed the best and most up-to-date short account of the subject in the English language.'

The Times Literary Supplement

Product Details

• Paperback: 197 pages
• Publisher: Longman Group United Kingdom; 1 edition (March 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582493242
• ISBN-13: 978-0582493247
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medieval Persia, October 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Medieval Persia, 1040-1797 (History of the Near East) (Paperback)

Dr. Morgan states that his purpose for writing this book is to provide a clear, concise history of Persia after the arrival of the saljuqs until the rise of the Qajar dynasty. He also states that he hopes to prove the legitimacy of calling this time period "medieval." In both tasks he succeded. Though brief, only 160 pages of text, the book demonstrates how Persian history in this time period, though it appears fragmented, is actually unified in the continuation of Persian culture, and administrative structure. This book is certainly intended for the students of the Middle East, and while Morgan spends agood deal of time cataloguing rulers and battles, he spends an equal amount of time with religious, economic, social and cultural aspects of the period. The book is well laid out, in chronological order. Each chapter is appropriately titled, and the book follows a consistent pattern. If you have an interest in Persia, this book is extremely interesting.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Useful Guide, But Short on Detail, March 10, 2008

By 

Suchos - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medieval Persia, 1040-1797 (History of the Near East) (Paperback)

The book is a very interesting read on an under-treated subject. If you want a concise, highly readable, brief book on the period between the rise of the Seljuks to the collapse of the Safawids, I strongly recommend it.

That said, it seems odd to have such a quick survey on such a limited subject. The usefulness of a monograph is that an author can get into more detail than with a general survey, but the detail is lacking here. We have barely two pages on Toghril Beg. Alp Arslan gets three. Tamerlane gets a little over eight.

Still, if the reader is willing to supplement the framework set forth here with in-depth studies of the major players, dynasties and battles, Morgan's book will have served its purpose of providing a coherent "big picture" view.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the expense, September 30, 2004

By 

S. Gamester (Madrid) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Medieval Persia, 1040-1797 (History of the Near East) (Paperback)

I was a little disappointed with how skinny this book was when I got it in the mail, but the truth is that it provided me with several weeks of fascinating reading. Not at all dry or overly scholarly. Similar to the "Age of the Prophets" in tone, but the more limited scope makes for more focused reading. This isn't a textbook -- enjoy it!