A History of Islamic Societies

by Ira M. Lapidus

Book Overview

This new edition of one of the most widely used course books on Islamic civilizations around the world has been substantially revised to incorporate the new scholarship and insights of the last... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521295491
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 1034 Pages
• Weight: 3.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.9" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Biased

I wonder how many of you would trust a book on American history written by a Soviet. Or Jewish history written by a Muslim. No biasedness here... Terrible book with a condemning undertone and an attempt to implant a false version of Islam through history

Detailed and Readable

This is a classic work on the history of Islamic societies. I'm not a historian, but found the book very readable. Its 900+ pages present an in-depth analysis of the history of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, leading up to the rise of Islam. Interestingly, Lapidus reveals the rise of Islam did not happen in a sudden, broad sweep, as I had been led to believe. Rather, Islam was adopted by Bedouins, merchants, etc. one tribe and village at a time. According to Lapidus, Islam has been marked with internal strife from the beginning when numerous civil wars over doctrine, leadership, and interpretation of the Prophet's message, led to the division of the faith into its Sunni and Shi'a sects. It is an incredible story that every westerner should read. The book covers the periods prior to Mohammed's revelations through the 20th century, and is divided into three parts: The Origins of Islamic Civilization: 600 to 1200 The Worldwide diffusion of Islamic Societies The Modern Transformation As a Christian, I found the depiction of Christianity's role in the Middle East, especially in the early days of Islam, interesting. Lapidus is a noted scholar and has done us all a service by writing this book. I highly recommend it.

The "World History" you never learned in highschool

Lapidus' writing style is magnificent for a book of this depth (and length). Rather than writing dates and facts, he ties together the story of Islam with a scholar's perspective. He writes clearly, breaking up specific themes that require special consideration, and never hesitates to acknowledge when a specific topic is a subject of speculation or debate. Lapidus does the religion justice in portraying it objectively; not as an evil or superior religion, but as a historical religion (with moments of beauty and depravity experienced by every faith) which served as scaffolding to a Middle Eastern empire, and continues to unite over a billion people throughout the world. I remember learning "World History" in regards to the history of the Roman/European/North American events, but not once was the history of Africa (asides from light discussions on European colonialism), the Middle East and Asia discussed in highschool. It's unfortunate that most of us North Americans continue to learn absolutely nothing about the history of over half the world...

The definitive one-volume treatment of Islamic Societies

The back cover claims this to be an "[a]uthorative and comprehensive history of Islamic societies written for the general reader and student that will no doubt prove to be a classic work in its field." I am happy to report that claim to be justified.In clear and accessible style for college-level reading, Lapidus covers the Arab-Turkish-Iranian core as well as the African, Indian, and Indonesian periphery of the Muslim world. He also touches on the ex-Soviet and Chinese Muslims. The differences in political and economic organization are highlighted and contrasted, the variations of Islamic belief are explored, and the challenges of modernity are addressed.If you're looking for a chronicling of dynastic politics, military vicissitudes, and 'great man' theories of history, look elsewhere. If you want a comprehensive, balanced synthesis comparing Islamic societies for the last 1400 years, read this book.After reading "A History of Islamic Societies", consider moving on to Marshall Hodgson's three-volume set "The Venture of Islam".

Excellent, Comprehensive Resource

This work is an excellent overview of Islamic societies. Also, it is highly readable for a history book. Of course, it can get dull at times just as all really detailed history books must, but this work remains highly lucid throughout. The strongest breakthrough of this book concerns its treatment of the Arabization of Middle East and the developement of what we know as the modern Arab identity. However, to typify in a few sentence as book of this scope is impossible. Once you read it, you will find yourself going it back to it again and again for reference and for understanding modern events.

Bold arguments suited for non-beginners

This is no ordinary history facts-and-dates book for beginners. The rule is that you must have some general idea of the whole Islamic history, preferrably have read J.J. Saunder's 'The History of Medieval Islam.'For those of you who have done your reading this is the perfect companion to test your arguments to the very limits. Some of Lapidus' arguments inconveniently disturb sacred faith of the pious, others might open up new horizon to the seculars, but mostly the arguments offer relevant issues never before thought correlated.Buy it, read it, and love it. But don't hesitate to throw it out of the window when it gets too obstructing. Just pick it up the next day and read it some more, only then you'll appreciate what Prof. Lapidus has done for us. It easily become a classic in a short while.