Middle East History Books

A 16th CENTURY MOSQUE (An Inside Story book)
by Fiona Macdonald. Detailed, historically accurate color illustrations by Mark Bergin. Condition: NEW 1994 Simon & Schuster hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), no printing given. Content: Detailed colour illustrations by Mark Bergin accompany another title from the "Inside Story" series, introducing the Islamic world - the beliefs and way of life, through an exploration of the activities associated with a 16th-century mosque. Reviewer: "MacDonald is interested in the construction techniques used in building mosques. But what separates her book from Macaulay's is that she interested in the broader subject of Islam and the role that mosques play in Muslim life. It is this interest in larger topics which makes this book a good read for children. Finally, Mark Bergin the illustrator, is one of the best artists working in children's non-fiction." Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 20.50 + $ 3.19 media shipping. International shipping available.

101 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON ISLAM
by John Renard. Condition: NEW 2002 Gramercy Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket) first thus, first printing. Content: This informative, clear, and accessible guide offers information and knowledge about the Islamic religion. Organized in a question and answer format, this book gives the reader a better understanding of Islam through education. Where and when did Islam come into being? What sort of book is the Koran? What basic views do Muslims hold on human rights? Perfect book for a "quick-learn" on Islam. [1 copy availaable]
$ 5.49 + $2.89 media shipping. Priority & International shipping available.

ABU NIDAL: A Gun For Hire, The Secret Life of the World's Most Notorious Arab Terrorist
by Patrick Seale. Condition: UNREAD 1992 Random House hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Although the book is new/unread, there is a very very slight bow to the front board - poor shelving, I assume (before I got hold of it). Interior clean & tight. The cover photo of Nidal is the only known photo take by the Mossad. Content: Abu Nidal was killed (or killed himself?) in Baghdad in 2002. This book chronicles his real and supposed terrorist activities up to and including 1992. It is a fascinating look into the dark world of terrorism and the men (and now women) who carry out terrorist acts. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 5.89 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

BETTER THAN A THOUSAND MONTHS: An American Muslim Family Celebration
by Hassaun Ali Jones-Bey. Condition: NEW 1998 Ibn Musa Publishing Trade Paperback, assumed first edition. Content: A lovely story of why "Muslims don't celebrate Christmas." The title, Better Than A Thousand Months, is taken from a verse of Islamic scripture that describes Islam's holiest night, which takes place during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting: The story revolves around the imagery of a holy and peaceful night, which is also central to the spiritual imagery of Christmas. The book emphasizes the similarities between Islam and Christianity while downplaying the differences. The story is narrated by the African-American father of a large Muslim family who tries to answer his children's questions about religion honestly and creatively, while also seeking peace of mind and honest answers to his broader and more subtle questions about life. The imagery of a holy and peaceful night is illustrated throughout the book with full pages of Islamic calligraphy and colorful landscape photography. [1 copy availaable]
$ 8.69 + $ 3.09 media shipping. Priority shipping available.

DESERT QUEEN: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia
by Janet Wallach. B&W maps and era photos throughout. Condition: Gently pre-read to page 72 (and abandoned), 2000 Anchor Books Trade Paperback, fourth printing. Light edge wear but the bottom back corner shows shelf wear last few pages. Interior clean & tight. Content: Turning away from the priviledged world of the "eminent Victorians," Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) explored, mapped, and excavated the world of the Arabs. Recruited by British intelligence during World War I, she played a crucial role in obtaining the loyalty of Arab leaders, and her connections and information provided the brains to match T. E. Lawrence's brawn. After the war, she played a major role in creating the modern Middle East and was, at the time, considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire. Fascinating bio. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 8.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping. Priority shipping available.

THE ESSENTIAL KORAN: The Heart of Islam
An Introductory Selection of Readings frm the Qur'an)
translated & presented by Thomas Cleary. Beautiful Tillya-Kari cover art photo. Condition: NEW 1998 Castle BookS small hardcover [8.6 x 5.8 x 1.0 (203 pages)] and DJ (in mylar jacket). Perfect condition. Great gift item. Content: This collection of readings from the Quran is designed to help non-Muslim Westerners approach this sacred book and savor something of its amazing power through a selection of chapters and verses encapsulating some of its central ideas and essential beauties. A "rosary of readings and recitations," the excerpts chosen represent the "six aims" of the Quran (which range from knowledge of God to refutations of unbelievers' arguments), all of which point to the need for intelligent, considered faith in order for humans to come to a true knowledge of God. The selections, from hymns of praise to calls for compassion toward the most needy, reveal the majesty and poetry of this extraordinary text while illuminating its spiritual lessons. The excellent linguistic notes, which Cleary calls an intrinsic part of the translation itself, amplify the meanings of untranslatable words through reference to their Arabic roots and related derivatives. The book is a first-rate introduction for non-Muslims both to the beauty of the Quran and to the core teachings of Islam, which have too often been misrepresented or misunderstood in the West. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 6.49 + $ 3.29 media shipping. Priority shipping available.

THE ESSENCE OF RUMI
by John Baldock. Condition: NEW 2006 Eagle Editions Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: The thirteenth-century saint Jalaluddin Rumi has been called the greatest mystical poet of any age, and his work compared to that of Dante and Shakespare. Over a period of 25 years, he composed over 70,000 verses of poetry on the subjects of divine love, mystic passion and ecstatic illumination. But he was also a master story-teller, as this comprehensive exploration of his work reveals. Primarily an introduction to Rumi and the path of self-surrender, it is arranged in such a way tht it guides the reader from the poet's outer, historical world to the inner, spiritual essence of his teaching. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 5.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping. Priority shipping available.

A HISTORY OF THE ARAB PEOPLES
by Albert Hourani. Condition: UNREAD 1991 Harvard University Press large Trade Paperback, no printing given. Two B&W photo sections. Name top loose end page. Content: Hourani examines Arabic-speaking nations of the Islamic world from the seventh century to the present in a volume that spent 12 weeks on PW 's bestseller list and was a History Book Club main selection. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 4.59 + 3.39 media shipping.

THE HOLY LAND: Myths and Legends (The Holyland)
by J. E. Hanauer. Cover art: The Departure of Abraham by Josef Molar. Condition: UNREAD 1995 Senate Trade Paperback, no printing given. Two pale "near-creases" bottom front cover corner. Tiny edge ear. Interior clean & tight. Content: Originally published in 1907 as The Folklore of the Holy Land. The Holy Land is often considered to be a region in which the extraordinary occurences of Biblical times eclipsed this storytelling cycle. It seems as if the weight of the Christian legacy allowed these rich lands only a brief cultural life before consigning them to obscurity, robbed of the vibrancy of the people who have continued to live there. Over the ages, ordinary Moslem, Jewish and Christian people have gathered to share their heritage. Whether it be beneath the full vines of Autumn or while taking refuge against the chill of a January downpour, these stories have been passed on and embellished for millennia. This volume provides an excellent guide to a neglected tradition, superbly retold by a sympathetic interpreter. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 4.59 + 3.19 media shipping.

HOLY WARS: The Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism
by Dilip Hiro. Condition: UNREAD 1989 Routledge Trade Paperbck, first printing. Content: Details the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism - socio-economic, religion, political. 9-11 changed little in the Islamic world - this book is still relevant if only for the history of the movement. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 8.49 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

THE IMAN: A Novel
by Harvey Javel. B&W charts & diagrams. Condition: NEW 2000 First Amendment Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: Once in a lifetime comes a novel that deeply probes the ideas and perceptions of religious thought, only to defy its traditions and map out a more meaningful direction towards truth and understanding. The Imam is such a novel. It is an ambitious attempt to paint the human face of Shia Islam, to distinguish what Shia Islam ought to be from what it actually is. The result is an explosive and provocative novel that bravely questions the tenets of Islam and especially the motivations of its clerics and political leaders. Glossary included. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 8.49 + $ 3.39 media shipping.

THE INVISIBLE WAY
by Reshad Feild. Condition: Good condition 1978 Harper & Row Trade Paperback, third printing. Small edgewear with rubbing along hinges. Interior clean but heavily tanned inside covers and moderate tanning page edges. Content: This book is an enlightening exploration of the Sufi tradition, illuminating the nature of reality, the meaning of life and death, and the mystery of love. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 2.49 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

THE LION'S GRAVE: Dispatches from Afghanistan (Uncorrected Proof)
by Jon Lee Anderson. B&W photos. Condition: NEW 2002 Grove Press Uncorrected Proof. An ARC or Uncorrected Proof may have more than the final edition or it may have less. In this case, all the photos are there, but the Glossary of Names, Acknowledgments, and the Afterword are missing - represented by blank pages. Content: Anderson, who had reported on the mujahideen 's war against the Soviets in Afghanistan a decade earlier, was among the first Western journalists to get back into the country after the September 11, 2001, attack on the U.S. In this graphic account, which includes his diary entries, Anderson recounts the arduous task of developing sources and reporting on the complexities of a nation caught up in its own ethnic and religious conflicts and its place in the new war on terrorism. In one of the book's many ironies, as he travels with a convoy of journalists under the protection of a former Green Beret, he uses high-tech equipment to transmit copy chronicling the hardship of primitive living conditions. Anderson details the search for Osama bin Laden in the caves of Tora Bora and considers, based on interviews with well-placed sources, the possible connections between the terrorist attack on the U.S and the assassination of Ahmed Shah Massoud, the head of the Northern Alliance, two days earlier. A compelling look at the war and politics of an international hot spot. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 4.29 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

THE LION OF ISLAM (Biographical Novel)
by Howard L. Oleck. Barber cover art. Condition: Gently pre-read 1977 Zebra paperback, first printing. Hinge & spine crease with moderate tanning to page edges. Content: al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari (also spelled Baybars) (1223 – July 1, 1277) was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He was a Kipchak Turk captured and sold in Kipchak. His first master, the emir (prince) of Hama, was suspicious of Baibars because of his unusual appearance (he was gigantically tall, with golden light blond hair, and an odd white spot in one of his blue eyes). Baibars was quickly sold to a Mamluk officer and sent to Egypt, where he became a bodyguard to the Ayyubid ruler As-Salih Ayyub. When he ruled Egypt wise men did not mention his blind eye in public. Baibars was also known for going about Cairo in disguise to ask people's opinions about current events. A mamluk was a slave soldier who converted to Islam and served the Muslim caliphs and the Ayyubid sultans during the Middle Ages & Crusades. Over time they became a powerful military caste, and on more than one occasion they seized power for themselves, for example in Egypt from 1250 to 1517. (Information from Wikipedia) Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 2.49 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

MUSLIM CHILD: Understanding Islam Through Stories and Poems
by Rukhsana Khan. B&W illustrations by Patty Gallinger. Sidebars by Irfan Alli. Condition: UNREAD 2002 Scholastic soft cover, first printing. Content: Avowedly didactic, as its subtitle indicates, Muslim Child presents aspects of the daily lives of Muslim youngsters in various locales, including Canada, the U.S., Nigeria, and Pakistan. The child's-eye view substantially increases the likelihood that non-Muslim readers will be able to internalize and understand what the protagonists are feeling and thinking, even if the religious basis of those thoughts and emotions is unfamiliar. In one story, a young American Muslim grumbles about having to wake before dawn for morning prayer and then spends a good deal of his energy during the prayer trying to suppress a fart, which will render the prayer ritually unclean. In another tale, a Canadian boy is embarrassed to have his school friends see his mother in her full-body dress, with head and face coverings. The resolutions of these and the other stories are always positive and reinforce the beliefs that the children may have earlier questioned. For this reason, the text has a thematic similarity to fiction written for evangelical Christian audiences, an overlap that parents and religion teachers may choose to emphasize. Sidebars explain Arabic terms and aspects of Muslim belief and practice referred to in the stories. Devotional poems, selections from the Quran, and activities appear throughout. Soft, full-page pencil illustrations accompany the tales, and smaller illustrations are worked into the sidebars and stories. Though Khan's express purpose is to explain Islam to non-Muslim children, the most avid audience for this book may be American Muslim children excited finally to find stories with characters to whom they can relate. Ages 5-9. Questions welcome. [1 copy available.]
$ 13.59 + $ 3.19 media shipping. Priority mail available.

ORAL TRADITION: ARABIC ORAL TRADITIONS (Vol. 4, Nos. 1-2, January-May, 1989)
edited by John Miles Foley. Guest Editor: Issa J. Boullata. B&W photos. Condition: UNREAD 1989 Slavica Trade Paperback, no printing given. Tiny edge wear. Content: Articles on the use and importance of Arabic civilizations. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 10.29 + $ 3.19 media shipping. Priority shipping available.

RAMADAN
by Susan L. Douglass. Lovely, soft color illustrations by Jeni Reeves. Condition: NEW 2002 Carolrhoda Books hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued) first printing. 48 pages. Content: The Islamic holy month of Ramadan may seem like a tough topic for beginning readers, but this On My Own Holiday Book provides an accessible, uplifting introduction. The text and illustrations both emphasize the global reach of Islam, portraying adults and children of many different backgrounds. During Ramadan, children who attempt the fast (not required for kids) endure the challenges of going without food and water and "trying to be a good person all day" by remembering to share and forgive one another. The attractive colored-pencil illustrations show children at school and at home, and the constant presence of food in the illustrations reminds children that Ramadan is not about starving as much as it is about showing respect to God. The story culminates with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, when Muslim children get presents and sweets. Words like Allah, Qur'an, and iftar are defined in a glossary. Ages 4-8. [1 copy available]
$ 5.50 + $ 3.09 media shipping.

READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN: A Memoir in Books
by Azar Nafisi. Condition: Gently pre-read 2004 Random House Trade Paperback, 17th printing. Tiny edgewear with pale hinge crease. Had not been shelved well before I got it. Content: Every Thursday morning for two years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a bold and inspired teacher named Azar Nafisi secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. As Islamic morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, and a blind censor stifled artistic expression, the girls in Azar Nafisi's living room risked removing their veils and immersed themselves in the worlds of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov. In this extraordinary memoir, their stories become intertwined with the ones they are reading. This is a remarkable exploration of resilience in the face of tyranny and a celebration of the liberating power of literature. [3 copies available]
$ 3.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

RUMI: Selections from the "Musnavi" (Works of the Great Philosopher, Poet and Mystic)
by Jalal Ad-Din Rumi (Transl. E H Whinfield). Condition: NEW 2004 Axiom edition for Grange Books, no printing given. Beautiful cover art but no credit given. Content: The well was deep from which rumi drew inspiration. The selections in the book are taken from Rumi's epic poem, "Masnavi." Consisting of Sufi stories, ethical and mystical teachings, the poem's beauty and imagery are soul-reaching and revealing. Rumi captures that which is sacred and celebrates it with passion and reverence and speaks across boundaries and traditions. If you are new to Rumi, be prepared to be transported to a place where you see differently yourself and the world about you. Prepare yourself to be lifted beyond everyday bounds. Let your soul surrender to Rumi's spiritual wisdom and prepare to be enlightened. Here are more than words; more than poems; here are sublime meditations. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 19.59 + $ 3.09 media shipping. Priority shipping available.

THE SAYINGS OF MUHAMMAD
by Allama Sir Abdullah Al-Mamun Al-Suhrawardy. Foreword by Mahatma Gandhi. Condition: NEW 1999 Carol Publishing Trade Paperback, fourth printing. Content: Originally published c. 1938. Reviewer: "This book has many of the Prophet Muhammad's saying in an easy-to-read style. The sayings are organized by subject matter which is helpful when trying to understand His point of view on particular issues. The true beauty of Islam is readily revealed in this book. Books such as this are very helpful in understanding the daily application of Islamic religious principles. The prophet's championship of women, compassion for the poor and the suffering, his loving and tolerant nature, and his innate passion for Truth come through loud and clear in this book of short and sweet sayings." Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 6.29 + $ 3.09 media shipping. Priority & International shipping available.

THE SIMPLE GUIDE TO ISLAM (Simple Guides: World Religions)
by Danielle Robinson. Wonderful, detailed B&W drawings by Irene Sanderson; B&W photos, also. Condition: NEW 2001 Global Books pocket-sized [6.8 x 4.3 x 0.3 (120 pages)] soft cover, reprint. Content: Reviewer: "The author has written an excellent introduction to Islam. Ms. Robinson discusses Islam's history, structure, and effect on believers' lives in an easily-read, narrative manner. Her book is well-illustrated, and special topic discussions are highlighted. This guide is a non-controversial assemblage of facts. Ms. Robinson does not discuss socioeconomic conditions within the Islamic countries. Her discussion of women's roles within Islam is weak. She alludes without comment to the Muslim's duty to convert non-Muslims to Islam." Perfect size for traveling - will fit in a small purse or shirt pocket. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 5.59 + $ 2.94 first class shipping. Priority shipping available.

THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF ISLAM (Being the Second Edition of the Sociology of Islam)
by Reuben Levy. B&W maps illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1971 Cambridge University Press Trade Paperback, second edition, reprint. Tanning to edges of white cover but none to interior page edges. 536 pages. Content: Reviewer: "Contents: Chpt 1: The grades of society in Islam (mawali, ashraf, transoxiana, slavery, Islamic fraternities). 2: The status of women in Islam heris, duties, plurality, legal age, wali, mut'a marriages, veiling, saints) . 3: The status of the child in Islam guardianship, adoption). 4: Islamic jurisprudence (Koran, ra'y supplements, qiyas supplements, hadith, al-Shafi, fiqh, the four Madhhabs). 5: Moral sentiments in Islam (faith, conduct, commandments, lying, evil, responsibility, good v evil, Sufi, Ghazali, Greek ethics, adab, the ideal and expedient,). 6: Usage, custom and secular law under Islam (sunna, sharia, urf, ada, zakat, taxes, dhimmis, qadi). 7: The caliphate and the central government (umma, khalifah, Kharijis, Shia imams, coinage reform, the treasury, spoils of war, revenues in 780-810 by province, public expenditures, stipends, vizier). 8: Government in the provinces of the caliphate and in the succession states. 9: Military organization in Islam. 10: Islamic cosmology and other sciences." Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 24.49 + $ 3.39 media shipping.

THE TOPKAPI PALACE
by Ilhan Askit. Beautiful color photos & drawings illustrate. English edition - thank goodness. Condition: UNREAD 1994 Aksit Kultur Turizm Sanat Ajans Ltd (Turkey) soft cover, no edition given. Tiny edgewear. Content: Now a museum, the Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi in Turkish, literally the "Cannongate Palace" - named after a nearby gate), located in Istanbul (Constantinople), was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 to 1853. The construction of the Topkapi Palace was ordered by Sultan Mehmet II (Mehmet the Conqueror) in 1459. It was completed in 1465. The palace is located on the Seraglio Point between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, having a splendid view of the Bosphorus. It consists of many smaller buildings built together and surrounded by four courts. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman style architecture and also owns large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armors, Ottoman miniatures, calligraphic manuscripts and mural decorations, as well a display of accumulated Ottoman treasures and jewelry. - from Wikipedia Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 10.49 + $ 3.39 media shipping.

UNDERSTANDING ISLAM: An Introduction to the Muslim World (Revised Edition)
by Thomas W. Lippman. Condition: UNREAD 1990 Mentor paperback, revised edition, first printing. Light tanning to page edges with tiny edgewear. Content: Reviewer: "Lippman provides an excellent introduction into the Islamic world. Lippman is neither a historian nor a religious expert, but a journalist. As a journalist, he is able to easily explain Islamic Culture, practices, and history to an audience completely unfamiliar to this subject. Lippman spent a great deal of time in various Islamic countries as a journalist, and gives an easy to understand introduction into various aspects of Islam: (1) Basic Beliefs and Practices, (2) The Prophet Muhammad (3) The Koran, (4) Law and Government in Islamic Countries, (5) The Advance of Islam, (6) Schism and Mysticism, and (7) The Islamic Community Today. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about Islamic beliefs and or history." Questions encouraged. [1 copy availaable]
$ 3.49 + $ 2.94 media shipping.