An extraordinarily important introduction to the advanced study of Islamic history. It covers the period c.600 to c.1500, and it has as its geographical focus what Humphreys, author of From Saladin to the Mongols (CH, Jun'78), terms the Nile-to-Oxus region. The first 60 pages constitute a detailed summary of the bibliographic resources currently available. Then follow ten essays on major problems of analysis and interpretation in medieval Islamic history, such as the Abbasid Revolution, the role of the ulema, and urbanization. Essays are accompanied by critical evaluations of the appropriate literature in the field. Invaluable 80-page bibliographical index. (from CHOICE review by G. R. G. Hambly)

Its dictionary-style entries are cross-referenced and include short biographies of the individuals who shaped Islam in its formative stages during the Middle Ages. Written by Adamec (Afghanistan 1900-1923: A Diplomatic History), who is considered an authority on the history and politics of the Middle East region, the bookincludes a chronology, a map of the Islamic world, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, and a brief introduction to the world of Islam. An extended bibliography suggests resources for more in-depth research on all the topics discussed. (from Library Journal review)

This resource focuses primarily on Islamic culture and civilization from the 6th to the 17th centuries. The encyclopedia offers overviews of a variety of humanistic topics, including Muslim philosophy, science, literature, medicine, and mathematics... Guessing which entries are included proved difficult--one must rely strongly on the index. This comprehensive and necessary reference work in a growing discipline is sure to be a welcome addition to any collection supporting Islamic or medieval studies. (from CHOICE review by C. A. Sproles)

Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Includes chronology.

This book is a major source of information about Islam in North America. Essentially a reference handbook, it covers the development of Islam from the early Colonial period in America to the present day. Some 1,294 books, articles, lectures, dissertations, reprints, etc. are cited as material for further study. (from CHOICE review by T. M. Pucelik)

3 vols.

8 vols. The Encyclopaedia Iranica is a project of Columbia University’s Center for Iranian Studies and has been designed as a major research tool to provide a detailed and accurate picture of an important world civilization from prehistory to the present, a span of several thousand years. Covering a multi-lingual and multi-ethnic cultural continent, the Encyclopaedia Iranica encompasses all aspects of the life, history, and civilization of the peoples who spoke or speak an Iranian language; it also treats reciprocal influences and interactions between these peoples and the neighboring regions, as well as western and central Europe, Russia, and the United States. (from Columbia University Center for Iranian Studies)

Somel's dictionary attempts to fill the need for a reference source covering the Ottoman Empire. It focuses heavily on politics, but culture is not ignored entirely. Somel provides "Note on Writing Style and Transcriptions," maps of the expansion and contraction of the empire, a detailed chronology, an introduction, the dictionary proper, and a selected bibliography...Entries often are very brief...The absence of an alphabetical index makes it difficult to find topics that lack main entries, like the 1565 attack on Malta. A useful but hardly comprehensive guide. (from CHOICE review by T. M. Izbicki)

The second edition of this historical dictionary updates and expands the previous edition (CH, Sep'95). The maps are a bit larger and clearer, chronologies are current through 2001, and the enormous bibliography covers books and journal articles through 2001. A few pages of basic statistics are now included in the appendix. The author has also added entries in the dictionary portion of the volume, including several biographical sketches of current political figures and a too-brief entry on Armenians that mentions their "claim" of genocide and generally promotes the official Turkish side of the incidents. The dictionary is best for coverage of mid- to late-20th-century Turkey and current politics. (from CHOICE review by T. Miller)

4 vols.

3 vols. "Glossaries, cross-references, and chronologies support the younger student's curiosity [. . .] excellent for introductory study" (from the ARBA review by Linda L. Lam-Easton).

Online resource. Includes selections from Brice and Roolvink et al.'s Atlases.

The regional sections are well laid out and easy to follow, and the chronological historical information, while economical, is accurate...An important feature of the book is the extent to which it highlights how the world of Islam and that of the West have intersected at various crucial points of their different histories and politics.(from International Bulletin of Missionary Research review)

2nd ed. "This second revised edition, by Hugh Kennedy, of William Brice's original builds upon the rather significant accomplishments of the first, and improves greatly upon them. The new preface and bibliographical preambles by Kennedy explain what specific maps have been added and what has been dropped since the first edition [...] The new edition offers a much more logical organization of its maps, one less likely to induce motion-sickness than its predecessor, with general maps followed by specific regional maps grouped according to the area being described" (from The Journal of the American Oriental Society review)

Offers a fascinating insight into the countries and cultures connected with the spread of Arabic learning and Islam. Well-chosen maps, diagrams, photos, and illustrations all serve to enhance and broaden the reader's understanding of the topic.(from Calliope review)

The text not only covers the conventional dynastic history of the late medieval and modern Islamic world, with glimpses of its art (including political cartoons) and architecture; it also includes chapters on the religious life and social organization of Muslim peoples. The maps and illustrations are excellent, having obviously been chosen with care and integrated with the text. Robinson’s style is lively; his judgment sympathetic and fair. (from Religious Studies Review p.192)

"As both a geographer and a theologian, I have often needed to draw religious and political frontiers accurately and also quickly, yet where possible from one source. To my knowledge, no single source has existed before this atlas...If this review appears enthusiastic, then enthusiasm is well deserved, for pleasurable leafings through this atlas allow both expert and layman to synthesize much seemingly unconnected learning and gain a picture of Islam that literature alone would not provide" from Geographical Review)

Not an atlas, but an "an attempt to discern the role of environment in the different manifestations of Islam, and the part played by religious factors in shaping the appearance of the Muslim lands. In view of this awesome design and the modest size of the book, the reader cannot but be apprehensive, but he soon discovers a remarkably succinct text supplemented by an annotated bibliography of more than a hundred works" (from the Geographical Review review).

This atlas extends from the time of Muhammad to the 2003 Iraq war. Ninety-four full-color maps and more than fifty pictures of Islamic art and architecture are pulled together by well-informed and relatively brief text (about sixty chapters, most lavishly illustrated, are covered in slightly less than two hundred pages). In addition to broad coverage of Islamic history, the religious diversity among Muslims, and political current flash points, there is attention to the Crusades, European colonialism, mosques in the United States, Islamic arts, and even Muslim cinema and Internet use. (from Currents in Theology and Mission review)
"All the standard historical material is here, plus premodern military recruitment patterns, Muslims in world trade and exploration, Islam beyond the Middle East (including the US and Europe), and the often-overlooked importance of Central Asia, as examples." (from CHOICE review by S. Isaac)

The value of this new volume to scholars of Islamic history seems obvious: it provides a thorough and clearly presented list of dynasties for nearly the entire range of Islamic lands from the 7th century to the present day...To the original ten chapters and eighty-two dynasties of the old edition, Bosworth has added seven new chapters and more than one hundred dynasties. As a result, the book encompasses information for regions of South and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to the Arab-Persian-Turkish heartlands, to which the first edition was largely devoted. (from International Journal of Middle East Studies review)

A chronological survey of key events in the history of Islam, from the 9th century BC to 1994. Each chapter begins with an overview of the period covered, and events are divided into categories by region within the Islamic world, with brief entries describing milestones in economy and society, foreign affairs, culture and the arts, religious life, institutions, and political trends. Includes maps, charts, and fact boxes. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

"Set forth chronologically and not much detail is given to enhance the bare historical facts [. . . ]the curious reader or quick-reference checker will use this volume most" (ARBA).

4 vols. "The works is designed to appeal to 'the expert orientalist,' to 'students in other fields of history,' and to 'those who read history for intellectual pleasure.' Of these three categories only the first is likely to derive full benefit [...] The narratives are heavily freighted with details unfamiliar to all but the experts" (from the American Historical Review review by George Rentz).

This is a clear, readable survey of the story of Islam suitable for the educated, nonspecialist adult. Armstrong follows a traditional periodization that emphasizes the life of Muhammad, the expansion, the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, the "gunpowder empires," and Islam in the colonial and contemporary world. There is a comprehensive chronology, glossaries of key individuals and Arabic terms, and a bibliography of major works in English divided into subject areas. (From CHOICE review by G. J. Miller)

This is a a reprint of a book originally published in 1996...The present book specifically calls itself a history, but includes many useful maps and pertinent, excellently reproduced illustrations; and, of course, it covers the whole fourteen centuries of Islam's existence. (from Middle Eastern Studies review)

"Historical overview, discussion of key parts of the religion and Islamic society, pertinent biographical sketches, a glossary of important terms, a timeline, maps and suggested additional readings" (ARBA).

Lapidus asserts that the common perception of Muslim societies is that state and religion are unified, and that Islam is a total way of life that defines political as well as social and familial matters. Yet, historically, most Muslim societies did not and do not conform to this ideal, and were and are built around separate state and religious institutions...The work includes descriptions of the various Muslim brotherhoods and religious divisions, and demonstrates convincingly that Islam is not a monolithic whole.Review for a previous edition (from CHOICE review by P. F. Barty)

"A scholarly introduction to early Islamic history [. . .] balances important accounts with an understanding of the first time reader's needs" (ARBA).

Online version of the 1 volume original. This source is intended to provide introductory-level students with a general overview of the subject. Divided into broad topical section: Geography; The Arts; Communication, Transportation, and Exploration; Social Class System and the Economy; Politics, Law, and the Military; Leisure, Recreation, and Daily Life; Family and Social Trends; Religion and Philosophy; and Science, Technology, and Health. Each section includes essays, chronologies, biographies, and bibliographies. Each section concludes with an annotated bibliography of primary source documents pertaining to the topics treated in the section.