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Islamic Imperialism: A History Paperback – April 26, 2006

by Efraim Karsh (Author)

63 customer reviews

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From the first Arab-Islamic Empire of the mid-seventh century to the Ottomans, the last great Muslim empire, the story of the Middle East has been the story of the rise and fall of universal empires and, no less important, of imperialist dreams. So argues Efraim Karsh in this highly provocative book. Rejecting the conventional Western interpretation of Middle Eastern history as an offshoot of global power politics, Karsh contends that the region’s experience is the culmination of long-existing indigenous trends, passions, and patterns of behavior, and that foremost among these is Islam’s millenarian imperial tradition.
The author explores the history of Islam’s imperialism and the persistence of the Ottoman imperialist dream that outlasted World War I to haunt Islamic and Middle Eastern politics to the present day. September 11 can be seen as simply the latest expression of this dream, and such attacks have little to do with U.S. international behavior or policy in the Middle East, says Karsh. The House of Islam’s war for world mastery is traditional, indeed venerable, and it is a quest that is far from over.

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Editorial Reviews

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Middle East scholar Karsh surveys for a general audience the region's Islamic political past. Parallel to his narrative, Karsh frequently contrasts the universalistic proclamations of Islam with cycles of imperial consolidation and fragmentation. After recounting the Prophet Muhammad's religio-political establishment of Islam, and the discord about his legacy that continues today, Karsh narrates the battles over Muhammad's caliphate that eventuated in the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires. Karsh's commentary often looks forward to contemporary ideologues of Islam who ransack history to justify grievances. In Karsh's coverage, the irruption of the Crusaders into the Levant hardly provoked a jihad to eject them; that occurred, in his account, through politically ordinary processes of empire building, eventually by the celebrated Saladin. Islamic unity and zeal, however, had always to be affirmed by reestablishers of the caliphate, a theme Karsh incorporates into his chronicling of the rise and decline of the Ottoman Empire, the distribution of its territories after World War I, and varieties of pan-Arabism prevalent after World War II. An informative foundation for further exploration of Islamic history. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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"'Anyone interested in the debate about the place of Islam in the modern world should read this book... Karsh offers a new approach. He rejects the condescending approach of the apologists and the hateful passion of the Islamophobes. Instead he presents Islam as a rival for Western civilization in what is, after all, a contest for shaping the future of mankind.' Amir Taheri, The Sunday Telegraph 'His narrative helps explain the rage and the sheer hopelessness of so much Muslim engagement with modern politics.' Charles Moore, The Telegraph 'Karsh has produced an impeccable history of how the Muslim mainstream has behaved towards its neighbours... I could not recommend this magnificent effort of reportage and analysis more highly. Efraim Karsh, Professor of Mediterranean Studies at King's College London, is well on his way toward claiming the crown of a new generation of scholars of Islam and I wish him luck. We need him.' Hazhir Teimourian, Literary Review" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press (April 26, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0300106033
ISBN-13: 978-0300106039
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 63 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,471,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #835 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > History
- #855 in Books > History > World > Religious > Islam
- #6146 in Books > History > Middle East

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Deborah W. Seigman

History at Its Best and Widest

February 15, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book was recommended to me by a former student, now a professor of history. We had been commiserating about the lack of knowledge by American leaders and citizenry on the history of islamic and Christian conflict, and I had recommended "Cradle and Crucible" to him, while he recommended "Islamic Imperialism" to me. Both are wonderfully informative, each in its own way. I intend to share both books with others.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Very Enlightening

April 22, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I found this to be a superb book. As a Christian, it gave me a much better understanding of Islam, and I felt much more at peace with them after having read it. It portrays a religion that unfortunately is often hijacked for personal gain (power and/or money). What else is new in the history of the world!!!! With all religions, and governments for that matter, if we can just identify these nut cases and not get led astry by them the world will be a much better safer place.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Glenn D. Robinson

Excellent starter on Islamic History

September 28, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

"Timely book with all the protests going on. Based on this book, the more that changes, the more that stays the same. What is going on right now appears to have been going on since the Roman times. While the Moghul Empire, the Ottomon Empire and all other States, there have always been local kings, caliphates and others with changing alliances. The heart of Islam has gone from Baghdad to Damascus to other locations fluidly. Easy read, a starter to give a good glimpse."

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the west is in for a much worse scenario than we've seen to this point

January 4, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Sadly, the knowledge of Islamic Imperialism by the current media and politicians is totally lacking. If it doesn't fit the pap being spoken by the politicians it didn't happen.

Efraim Karsh gives a detailed and focused history of this Imperialism. Ignoring it at our peril, the west is in for a much worse scenario than we've seen to this point.

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Perhaps the best I've found on the spread of Islam

July 27, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Can't fault this in any way. Perhaps the best I've found on the spread of Islam. Puts the lie to those who argue that Islam was never spread by the sword.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Phillip R. Yoho

Understanding Arab and Muslim Motivations

June 9, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A must read to gain a greater understanding of how the Arab and the Muslim minds work. Important for understanding what is happening in the Middle East between the various countries, and for gaining insight into the motivations of the various Islamic terrorist group. If the White House staff and State Department would read this book, they could avoid some embarrassing mistakes.

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June 3, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I wish I could buy a copy for every member of Congress, the President and the Secretary of State--and get them to read it. Required reading for an understanding of this aspect of the challenges facing us. "Islamic Imperialism" is well written and well researched. It starts with the advent of Islamic conquests of other peoples and brings it forward to the struggles in our current day. It also reveals how many "Islamic" leaders used Islam as a handy rallying point and cover for their personal ambitions.

We must find an answer to the Islamist threat if we are to survive. Israel and Europe may be lost, and America is in the balance. (I'd bet the folks who gave this book one star are all Jihadist supporters.)

Robert A, Hall
Author of "The Coming Collapse of the American Republic."

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

January 29, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

He tells it like it is. I would of preferred much less 'sensitivity' in sharing a scholarly view of all the material presented. (He probably was afraid of a Jihad against him!)

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Most recent customer reviews

Good history lesson, a little dry at times.

As the title suggests this is a book about the history of Islam and their basic tenet of ruling the world.Read more

Published on November 6, 2015

Fantastic book. This puts Islamic imperialism in perspective

Fantastic book. This puts Islamic imperialism in perspective.

Published on August 30, 2015

Detailed history of Islamic conquests to present. Puts today's ...

Detailed history of Islamic conquests to present. Puts today's issues in context. Well done work by a scholar of Islam.

Published on August 28, 2015

A must-read history!

A work of impeccable scholarship. In view of the size of the Islamic community, and of the recent rise of ISIS, citizens who want to be well-informed about world history would do...Read more

Published on May 10, 2015

Jihad? No thanks..

I thought Islam was just a religion. Apparently it has always been an authoritarian political movement, a la communism. Karsh's book was eye-opening. I recommend it.

Published on February 14, 2015

A must-read book

A masterpiece by a master historian. Karsh lays out the imperialist history of Islam by detailing it's spread via violence and conquest throughout the now Islamic world, and also...Read more

Published on October 1, 2014

I got my books and thanks.

Published on September 21, 2014

an acquaintance

An essential and compelling read.

Clearly written, this work demonstrates the high quality of scholarship by a renowned academic in the field of Middle Eastern studies.Read more

Published on September 9, 2013

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