Bibliography for Crossroads of Culture: The Islamic World, 750-1400
Abu-Hamdiyyah, Mohammad. The Qur'an: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2000.
Call number 297 Abu
An in-depth look at the Qu’ran, first analyzing the evolution of religion in the ancient Near East, mentioning the Hebrew Bible and Christology, secondly taking a modern view on the Qu’ranic message.
Ahmed, Leila. A Border Passage: From Cairo to America – A Woman’s Journey. New York: Penguin Books, 2000.
(Gr. 9-12 / adult)
Call number B Ahm pb
The story of the author's Egyptian childhood during the 1940s and 50s, where she witnesses the end of British colonialism, the creation of Israel, the rise of Arab nationalism under Nasser, and the breakdown of Egypt's once multi-religious society.
Ahmed, Leila. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.
Call number 305.48'6971 Ahm
Added perspective to the debate about the veil in Islam: Is it a symbol of oppression against women? Or is it “an effort to return to a ‘pure’ Islam that was just and fair to both sexes?”
Ali, Tariq. The Book of Saladin. London: Verso, 1999.
Call number FIC Ali
A novel on the crusades from the Moslem point of view. The hero is the desert warrior, Saladin, who became sultan of Egypt and retook Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187. A tale of international intrigue and romance by the author of Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree.
Armstrong, Karen. The Battle for God. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001.
Call number 200.9 Arm
Former nun and author, Armstrong delves deeply once again into the often violent histories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this time exploring the rise of fundamentalist enclaves in all three religions.
Armstrong, Karen. Islam: A Short History. New York: Modern Library, 2000.
Call number 297 Arm
This book offers a comprehensive explanation for the worlds fastest growing and most feared faith. Some topics covered are the beginning of Islam, the split between Sunni and Shiite, the rapid of spread of Islam, and the Crusades.
Arts of the Islamic World: A Teacher’s Guide. [Washington, DC]: Smithsonian Institution, 2002.
Call number 704.9 Art
Aslan, Reza. No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. New York: Random House, c2005.
Call number 297 Asl hc
What is the essence of Islam? Is it a religion of peace or war? How much different is Allah from the Gods of Christianity and Judaism? Can an Islamic state be founded on democratic values such as pluralism and human rights? Aslan aims to answer these questions and many more in this book.
Baron, Beth, ed. Women in Middle Eastern History: Shifting Boundaries in Sex and Gender. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993.
Call number 305.4 Wom
ben-Jochannen, Yosef A A. African Origins of the Major “Western Religions”. Baltimore, MD: Black Classic Press, 1991.
Call number 200.9 Ben pb
Presents African influences on and roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Bergen, Peter L. Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden. New York: Free Press, 2001.
Call number 958 Ber
CNN journalist Peter Bergen examines the activities and mission of the terrorist leader suspected of the September 11 attacks.
Bérinstain, Valérie. India and the Mughal Dynasty. New York: Abrams, 1998.
Call number 954 Ber
Aided by a section of various letters, articles, and other documents, this book covers the complete history of the Mughals, from Babur’s wish to conquer the Indian subcontinent (rise) to the exile of Bahadur Shah II in 1857 (decline).
Berkey, Jonathan Porter. The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600-1800. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Call number 297 Ber pb
A guide to the evolution of Islam and the Near East from 600 to 1800, with concern to the effect of other religions, other cultures, and the Middle Ages on the long term development of Islam.
Bodansky, Yossef. Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America. Rocklin, CA: Forum, 2001.
Call number B BIN Bod
Boulnois, Luce. Silk Road: Monks, Warriors & Merchants on the Silk Road. Hong Kong: Odyssey, 2003.
Call number 950.1 Bou
Claiming to “meet academic requirements while remaining as readable as a novel,” this book covers the history of the Silk Road, from the Romans’ discovery of far off lands to the influence of Chinese silk and other sought-after goods.
Bovill, E. W. The Golden Trade of the Moors: West African Kingdoms in the Fourteenth Century. Princeton: M. Weiner Publishers, 1995.
Call number 382.0966 Bov
Essentially a rewrite ofBovill’s earlier book, Caravans of the Sahara, this book explains the influence of the West African kingdoms on the European and Arab worlds.
Chebel, Malek. Symbols of Islam. New York: Assouline, c2000.
Call number 297 Che
Fourth in the Symbols of Religions series, Symbols of Islam offers clear explanations of the Islamic world and vivid photographs of everything and anything Muslim.
Clévenot, Dominique. Splendors of Islam: Architecture, Decoration, and Design. New York: Vendome Press, 2000.
Call number 729.09 Cle
Through pictures and text, this book clarifies on the variances in Islamic and Arabic architecture, decoration, and design.
Curtin, Philip D. Cross-Cultural Trade in World History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.
Call number 382 Cur
An analysis of world trade and its strong effect on world history. Focus moves from Africa to the ancient world, then to the Silk Road and the European entry into such trade.
Dalby, Andrew. Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices. Berkeley University of California Press, 2000.
Call number 633.8 Dal
A history of various spices from across the world, including the impact of these spices on world history, including the Portuguese sea routes to India and Asia and Columbus’ journey across the Atlantic to the New World.
Diouf, Sylviane A. Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas. New York: New York University Press, 1998.
Call number 297 Dio
A history of the influence of Islam on Africans and the spread of Islam to the New World through African Muslims.
Egypt. Footscray, Vic.: Lonely Planet, c2004.
Call number 916.2 Egy
A guide to the ancient land of the Pharaohs that covers every corner of this inspiring country.
Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Call number 297 Esp
A weapon against rampant ignorance towards Islam, answering frequently asked questions concerning the origins of Islam, daily life, and other facets of life.
Esposito, John L., ed. The Oxford History of Islam. New York: Oxford Unversity Press, 1999.
Call number REF 297 Esp
Esposito, John L. Islam. The Straight Path, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Call number 297 Esp pb
Survey text introduces faith, belief and practice of Islam from early origins to contemporary resurgence.
Falola, Toyin. Key Events in African History: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
Call number REF 960 Fal
Timeline of historical events from prehistory through 1999.
Fromkin, David. A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East. New York: Henry Holt, 2001.
Call number 956 Fro
A comprehensive history of the Middle East, explaining the state of the Middle East before World War I, and then guiding the reader to the drawing of borders by the British and French after World War I.
Gascoigne, Bamber. A Brief History of the Great Moguls. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2002.
Call number 954 Gas
A recount of the Indian dynasties of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries known to Europeans as the “Great Moguls.” Slightly off-topic, but there was a significant Muslim population in India.
Ghazzåalåi, Al-Ghazåalåi's. Path to Sufism and His Deliverance from Error: An Annotated Translation of al-Munqidh Min al Dal p- sal. Louisville, KY: Fons Vitae, c2000.
Call number 297.4 Gha
Translation by R. J. McCarthy of Al-Ghazali’s Path to Sufism. Considered by many as an Islamic “classic,” this short work is one of many texts by Al-Ghazali.
Ghosh, Amitav. In an Antique Land. New York: Vintage Books, 1994.
Call number 916.204 Gho
Ghosh’s search for a long lost Indian slave by re-creating an ancient lifestyle in a small Egyptian Village.
Gordon, Matthew. Islam: Origins, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Persons, Sacred Places. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Call number 297 Gor
An introductory book on the many parts of Islam, from Muhammad to Mecca and from Shiite to Sunni.
Hillenbrand, Robert. Islamic Art and Architecture. London: Thames and Hudson, 1999.
Call number 704.9 Hil
Hourani, George Fadlo. Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Early Medieval Times. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, c1995.
Call number 387.5 Hou pb
A history of Arab seafaring into the Indian ocean before Christ to its heyday in the ninth and tenth centuries.
Hurley, Jennifer A, ed. Islam: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001.
Call number 297.2 Isl
Covers topics like: Are the values of Islam and the West in conflict? What is the status of women under Islam? Does Islam promote terrorism? What policies should the United States take toward Islam?
The Koran. New York: Ivy Books, 1993.
Call number 297 Kor
The Holy Book of Islam (translated into English).
Lings, Martin. Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources. Cambridge: The Islamic Texts Society, 2001.
Call number B Muh Lin
This highly acclaimed biography is drawn from primary Arabic sources of the 8th and 9th centuries, including passages never before translated.
Lipman, Jonathan N. Familiar Strangers: A History of Muslims in Northwest China. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1997.
Call number 297 Lip
A history of the Muslim population in Northwest China, considered both local and normal but also strange and unknown within their own country.
Lippman, Thomas W. Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World. New York: Meridian, 1995.
Call number 297 Lip
This book tells the story of Islam, from Muhammad to the Koran, the five pillars, and the “interplay between religion and government.”
Lunde, Paul. Islam. London: DK Pub, 2002.
Call number 297 Lun
McCarthy, Justin. The Ottoman Turks: An Introductory History to 1923. London: Longman, 1997.
Call number 956.1 McC
A comprehensive guide to the Ottoman empire which aims to explain the Ottoman world as well as to describe it. The book covers the Ottomans from their rise as Turkic tribes to their decline after World War I.
Oxford Atlas of Exploration. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Call number REF 912 Atl
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Ideals and Realities of Islam. Chicago: ABC International Group, Inc., 2000.
Call number 297 Nas
In this book, the author seeks to answer from the Islamic standpoint, many of the criticisms brought against the Islamic tradition by the modern West.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. [San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002.
Call number 297 Nas
In his book, Nasr seeks to “open a spiritual and intellectual space for mutual understanding.” He stresses the need for both Muslims and Westerners to look to where they went wrong as societies and preaches the similarities, not differences, between humans.
Rashid, Ahmed. Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.
Call number 958 Ras
Rashid is a Pakistani journalist who has spent most of his career reporting on the region-- personally meeting and interviewing the Taliban's shadowy leaders. Taliban was written and published before the massacres of September 11, 2001, yet it is essential reading for anyone who hopes to understand the aftermath of that day.
The Rise of Islam: In Illustration and Art; A Teacher’s Resource Booklet. Fort Atkinson, WI: Highsmith, 2002.
Call number 297.071 Ris
Twelve transparencies and 1 teacher's resource booklet offering resources on the following topics: Islam and the Prophet; the empire of Islam; beliefs and practices; and the golden age of Islam.
Risso, Patricia. Merchants and Faith: Muslim Commerce and Culture in the Indian Ocean. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995.
Call number 382 Ris pb
A record of Islamic expansion into trade in the Indian Ocean, also discussing such historical events such as Zheng He’s maritime expeditions and the trading of slaves.
Robinson, Francis. The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Call number 909.09 Rob pb
Rodinson, Maxime. Muhammad. New York: New Press, 2002.
Call number B Muh Rod
Rodinson's book is not a scholarly biographical based upon critical examination of early sources, but it is nonetheless an educated and sophisticated look at the events, peoples, and places surrounding Islam's earliest origins and the personality which spawned it.
Ruthven, Malise. Islam: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Call number 297 Rut pb
An abridged version of Islam, this book contains “essential insights” into the “mysteries” of the world’s largest religion.
Schimmel, Annemarie. My Soul is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam. New York: Continuum, 1997.
Call number 297.082 Sch pb
Schimmel’s book emphasizes the importance and equality of women in Islam and the Quran, supported with texts from Arabic, Turkish, Persian, and Indo-Muslim Cultures.
Schwartz, Stephen. The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa‘ud from Tradition to Terror. New York: Doubleday, 2002.
Call number 297 Sch
Scott, Joyce Hope, ed. Camel Tracks: Critical Perspectives on Sahelian Literatures. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 2003.
Call number 840.9 Cam
Shah, Idries. The Way of the Sufi. London: Penguin, 1990, c1974.
Call number 297.4 Sha
A selection of poetry, contemplations, letters, lectures, and teaching stories which together form an explanation of the mystical aspect of Islam.
Shaikh, Munir A, ed. Teaching About Islam and Muslims in the Public School Classroom. Fountain Valley, CA: The Council on Islamic Education, 1995.
Call number 297 Tea
Shierlin, Henri. Islam: Early Architecture from Baghdad to Cordoba. Koln: Taschen, 2002.
Call number 720.956 Sti
Study of early architecture from the 7th to the 13th century.
Turner, Jack. Spice: The History of a Temptation. New York: Knopf, c2004.
Call number 641.3 Tur
A history of spices and their tempting effect on mankind from early civilizations up to the present, ranging from their effect on food to their abilities as aphrodisiacs.
Whitfield, Susan. Life along the Silk Road. Berkeley, CA: Univ. of California Press, 1999.
Call number 951.6 Whi
A compilation of stories from different perspectives (The Merchant’s Tale, The Soldier’s Tale, etc.) which together piece together what 10th century life was like on the route, before sea trade picked up. Great source for background material.
Ali, Aminah Ibrahim. The Three Muslim Festivals. Skokie, IL: IQRA International Education Foundation, [1998].
(Gr. 3-6)
Call number j 297 Ali
Highlights three major Muslim festivals: Ramadan, Id al-Fitr, and Id al-Adha.
Beshore, George. Science in Early Islamic Cultures. New York: Franklin Watts, 1998.
(Gr. 4-8)
Call number j 509.17 Bes
Discusses the extraordinary scientific discoveries and advancements in the Islamic world after the birth of Muhammad in 570 and their impact on Western civilization in subsequent centuries and today.
Demi. Muhammad. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003.
(Gr. 4-7)
Call number j B Muh Dem
Introduces Muhammad and the basic tenets of the Islamic faith.
Ganeri, Anita. Muslim Festivals Through the Year. London: Watts, 2003.
(Gr. 3-6)
Call number j 297.36 Gan
Husain, Shahrukh. What Do We Know about Islam? Chicago: Peter Bedrick Books, [1995].
(Gr 4-7)
Call number j 297 Sha
An illustrated guide to the origins, history, practices, and beliefs of Islam.
Khan, Aisha Karn and Aaron Pepis. What You Will See Inside a Mosque. Woodstock, VT: Skylight Paths Pub, 2003.
(Gr. 3-6)
Call number j 297 Kha
Describes what happens inside a mosque and introduces the Muslim faith.
Khan, Rukhsana and Patty Gallinger. Muslim Child: Understanding Islam Through Stories and Poems. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Co., 2002.
(Gr. 2-6)
Call number j 297 Kha
A collection of stories and poems about Muslim children from a variety of backgrounds, focusing on the celebration of holidays and practices of Islam.
Morris, Neil and Manuela Cappon. The Atlas of Islam. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, 2003.
(Gr. 3-8)
Call number j 297 Mor
This title is not an atlas in the traditional or historical sense. Rather, it is a survey of the people who made up the mainstream of Islamic life, with a nod toward the lands in which they have lived.
Muslim Holidays: Teacher’s Guide and Student Resources. Fountain Valley, CA: Council on Islamic Education, 1997.
(all grades)
Call number 297 Mus
Offers background on the different Muslim holidays and resources to use with students of all ages.
Stanley, Diane. Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2002.
(Gr. 3-7)
B Sal Sta
History, geography, and background about Islam, as well as about the life of Salah al-Din.
Zaun, Kathy and Lisa Marty. Inside Islam. St. Louis, MO: Milliken Pub. Co, 2002.
(Gr. 3-6)
Call number j 297 Ins
