Militarism in Arab Society: An Historiographical and Bibliographical Sourcebook [Hardcover]

John Walter Jandora (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313293708 | ISBN-13: 978-0313293702 | Publication Date: May 30, 1997

A much needed reference aid for the academic and national defense communities, this book provides a framework for the historical and comparative study of the military culture of Arab society. In sections considering warfare in Arab traditions, military roles in medieval Islam, and Arab armies in the modern age, each chapter's bibliography is preceded by a background essay, designed to assist researchers who are unfamiliar with the general outline of Arab history or the thematic bent of Arabic historiography. The work also includes a glossary and tables of Islamic dynasties. Written primarily for professors and students of comparative military history, national and service intelligence analysts, and students of Arab-Islamic or Middle Eastern history, this work will also be of use to the generalist historian.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Jandora combines successfully two complementary methods: historiography and bibliography....Part of the interest of the book is the attention it pays to dark zones and blind spots in the military history of the Arab East, which Jandora shows to be numerous. He argues convincingly that Arab military chroniclers reported few militarily relevant details and turned most of their attention toward who and why rather than how and when writing on wars in their countries.”–International Journal Middle East Studies

“The bibliography is well designed for use by undergradutes or the interested layman, with listings confined to those in English and likely to be available in a basic university library.”–Middle East Quarterly

“This sourcebook provides extensive information to the academic and national defense communities on military matters within Arab society.”–Middle East Journal

“The bibliography is well designed for use by undergraduates or the interested layman, with listings confined to those in English and likely to be available in a basic university library.”–Middle East Quarterly

“[I]f anyone possesses the very special scholastic, lingustic, and real-world background to attempt, such a summary text on the subject of military traditions in the Arab world, John Jandora does. His work is a crisp, comprehensive reference guide that will be especially useful for those seeking a survey introduction to this complex subject. Of paticular interest are his frequent and insightful comparisons between Arab military attitudes and institutions in the medieval and modern eras and those from the European (and American) tradition....Libraries devoted to military and comparative area studies will find Dr. Jandora's book a stimulating and useful addition.”–The Journal of Military History

About the Author

JOHN WALTER JANDORA, a Vietnam veteran who received his doctorate from the University of Chicago, spent five years with the Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (May 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313293708
• ISBN-13: 978-0313293702
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,351,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Islamic Military bibliography, January 24, 2009

By 

William Garrison Jr. (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Militarism in Arab Society: An Historiographical and Bibliographical Sourcebook (Hardcover)

In this short book the author attempts to cover a wide swath of Islamic military history by discussing a few battles; primarily those conducted by Islam's founder, the Prophet Mohammad, his immediate successors, and in order to tie together the theme to this book, the author tosses in a couple of very brief chapters pertaining to Saladin, the Wahhabi movement in Arabia, and the overall Israel-Arab conflict. Whew! Because so many topics are covered, not a whole lot of detailed analysis about anything, besides: "This battle occurred because some Muslim warlord wanted to expand his power by defeating someone else." If you are interested in any of these topics, you are better off in reading specific books about them, rather than trying to find any great critical analysis in this short book. While the subject is "Militarism in Arab Society", the author doesn't provide any analysis as to how the Arab peoples viewed their military systems, or how the military systems were organized, or how these military systems influenced the outcome of some battle. Essentially, the author highlights a handful of battles, and then provides references for the reader to peruse in finding more useful information. The overall, `brief' Israeli-Arab conflict between 1948-2002 is explained in 12 expansive pages! I read this book in less than 90 minutes.