This collection of essays focuses on the relation between European and Islamic thought and culture from the late eighteenth to the twentieth century. Albert Hourani explores the development of ideas about Islam in European thought and discusses the individual writers who played an important part in informing and communicating an image of Islamic history and civilisation. He also examines some of the reactions of the Islamic world to the powerful new ideas of European civilization including the first Arabic encyclopedia and translation of Homer.
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2004
This is an invaluable companion to islamic history, historiography and the historians themselves. This book contains monograph-type short essays on wide topics concerning middle-east and Islam. With an emphasis on sociology of the society to be studied the author makes careful study of his subject in a concise way. His reviews are also very insightful. Hourani has put all his life-long wisdom into this slender volume.