The Abbasid Caliphate New Edition

Very detailed and thorough on the subject!

because this book is a summary of a 500 year history of abbasids some names popped up out of nowhere such as the vazir mu'nis who is mnetioned without any introduction.

A great summary of the Abbasid Caliphate, and very useful in understanding how different medieval dynasties were related and interacted with one another, such as the Fatimids, Buyids, Seljuks, Ghaznavids, and Ayyubids. Shows that medieval Baghdad really did sit at the center of the civilized world between the Hellenic Levant, and Iranian east.

This powerful and masterful book provides superbly supported, lucid explanation of a relatively long and fascinating era of history. This book builds on a substantial life of scholarship. Tayeb El-Hibri shows tremendous skill as a writer, historian, and analyst. The careful assessment of arguments and balanced presentation in this book makes it a crucial resource for a scholar, yet easy to read for those seeking an introduction to the people and period of the Abbasids.

El-Hibri’s sweeping history of the Abbasid Chaliphate offers a broad stroke of the political, military, social, intellectual and religious dynamics that surrounded and developed around the Baghdad circle. The author takes from both primary and secondary sources while offering an analysis of his own in regards to particular events.My only complaints of the book would be it’s sudden interjections of new characters with little introduction (which can be expected from a broad history as this book explored), but more important was its clear Historical Criticism Methodology biases displayed. Explaining away key political and religious developments sometimes solely through a secular and power struggle lens, I see as falling short of the position the Islamic code of life played in the lives of the Caliph down to the sweepers.Overall however, I really enjoyed the book and found it very enlightening; opening new topics for further study and connecting the dots of why particular events took place. If my opinion means anything, would highly recommend!

A fantastic history of the Abbasids. Just couldn't put it down!