A comprehensive and articulate history of the turbulent and complex relationships in the Middle East that brillantly captures the people and the history.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
The most important history:
This is one of the most important books, for it is both history and documentary, of the Jews of Arab lands in modern times. The first hundred pages are a history of Jews in the Arab world. It begins in the 7th century with the conquests of Islam and then describes the ascendancy, decline and persecutions that followed. It tells of the Sephardim and also of the persecutions by the Almohads which destroyed, albeit temporarily, North African Jewry. The documentary history forms more then two thirds of the... more info
A good source for an overview of Jewry under Islam:
Stillman has written a fine introduction to the situation of the Jews living in Arab Muslim lands from the era of Muhammad to the cusp of modern times. A particular highlight of his book is the comparison of the situation in different lands at the same time. The treatment of Jews by Muslims was not homogeneous. There were regional and dynastic variations and nuances to Jewry policy. The translated primary sources that make up most of the book are useful for writing papers and homework assignments.
Concise and a good general overview:
Stillman gives a concise, yet thorough history of the Jews in Arab Lands. While he covers over eleven (11) century's of Jewish History, he touches on the important events and figures that shaped attitudes to the Jewish populations from Spain to Iran. The second half of the book is dedicated to the sources which he draws from to paint the picture of Jewish life throughout those lands. If you are looking for a general overview, I would recommend his work. While his writing is clear, at times the sources... more info
Landmark Scholarship in Judaic Studies:
Of all the great Jewish minds of the last millenium, few have paralled that of Moses Maimonides. Until the present generation of scholars, however, little research has been done to delve into the world of Sephardi and Eastern Jewry which gave rise to such a brilliant intellect.
Professor Stillman has translated and presented precious resources from the Cairo Genizah, the most significant find in the history of Medieval Jewish History, to give modern scholars the clearest picture possible of Jewish life in... more info
