Product Description
The transformation of the eastern provinces of the Roman empire from the middle of the seventh century CE under the impact of Islam has attracted a good deal of scholarly attention in recent years, and as more archaeological material becomes available, has been subject to revision and rethinking in ways that radically affect what we know or understand about the area, about state-building and the economy and society of the early Islamic world, and about issues such as urbanisation, town-country relations, the ways in which a different religious culture impacted on the built environment, and about politics. This volume represents the fruits of a workshop held at Princeton University in May 2007 to discuss the ways in which recent work has affected our understanding of the nature of economic and exchange activity in particular, and the broader implications of these advances for the history of the region. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the fall of the Syrian Umayyad caliphate and the rise of the 'Abbasid state, predominately from the view of the local inhabitants of medieval Syria. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Raise Your Banners High!
What a lovely book!I didn't know much about ancient (more properly speaking, medieval) Syria before picking up this attractive volume, but it was from a press with an impressive track record of assisting American readers who seek to understandpresent day conflicts in the Middle East, so I decided to give it a shot.Am I ever glad I did.I take it that many historians tend to "look the other way" when surveying this period, rather than have to take a stand and speak coherently as to what precisely happened in this fertile land of long ago, for the records are frustratingly scarce when they are not actively made up lies.Oops, that kind of situation is a historian's minefield and he must pick his way carefully over potential hazards to his wellbeing.

My hat is off to Professor Cobb who lays out the story economically.La Rochefaucauld would be proud of him, for Cobb has an epigrammatic wit that serves him well.His knowledge of Arabic would put to shame that of T E Lawrence, as if I would know, but his translations sound tiptop to the American ear.All in all, Cobb brings to life as no other historian the story of a culture-driven people drawn to the brink of reolution and beyond, in a time of Islamic uprising not unlike our own.(The parallels are striking.)

It seems as though Syria was always caught between a pair of warring superpowers, Egypt and Iraq, and from decade to decade the influence of one or the other would manifest itself on every level of their social organization.This makes for uneasy reading, as we go back and forth like spectators at a table tennis match, but ultimately Cobb leads us right up to the beginning of the Crusades, where for better or worse the so called "West" began taking an active interest in, and oppositon to, fundamentalist Muslims.

He shows also something of the massive upheaval that occurred roughly at the same time as the changeover from Umayyad to Abbasid society.

One of these days I hope to study with Paul Cobb, I'm sure it would be exciting.

Contention in Abbasid Syria
This work examines the nature of Abbasid rule in Syria following the fall of the Umayyads until ibn Tuluun.Syria, this work demonstrates, remained a problematic province for both the central Abbasid gov't and the governors whom it delegated to rule not only due its past status as the center of Umayyad power but also due to the precarious nature of provincial power itself, teetering precariously between appeasing both local elites and the central Abbasid gov't.Syrain contention, uprisings and revolts are generally analyzed against the background of this precarious political structure.

Considering the amount of detail covered in this work, the author does a decent job keeping things organized and cogent in terms highlighting the overarching social dynamics and the various social actors--giving insight to multiple levels of society such as local elites, military elites, government servants and even unnotables.Sources are also utilized well, exemplified especially in the chapter on peasants. ... Read more

Product Description
Religious community and nation have long been the chief poles of political and cultural identity for peoples of the modern Middle East. This work explores how men in turn-of-the-century Damascus dealt, in word and deed, with the dilemmas of identity that arose from the Ottoman Empire's 19th-century reforms.Muslim religious scholars (ulama) who advocated a return to scripture as the basis of social and political order were the pivotal group.The reformers clashed with their fellow ulama who defended the integrity of prevailing religious practices and beliefs.In addition to two conflicting interpretations of Islam, Arabism comprised a new strand of thought represented by young men with secular educations advancing Arab interests in the Ottoman Empire. Religious reformers and Arabists shared a political agenda that shifted focus from constitutionalism before 1908 to administrative decentralization shortly thereafter.Using unpublished manuscripts and correspondence, inheritance documents, and Ottoman-era periodicals, this work weaves together social, political, and intellectual aspects of a local history that represents an instance of a fundamental issue in modern history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Extraordinary Piece of Syrian History
This wonderful piece of research is an extraordinary look at the late Ottoman period in Syria. The originality and adeptness with which the book is written and complex information is conveyed is unparalleled. History in its finest form is condensed into this work. Highly recommended to scholars and insomniacs alike! ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: History, Ancient; Egypt; History of Medicine, Ancient; History / General; History / Ancient / General; History / Ancient / Egypt; History / Middle East / Egypt; History / Reference; Social Science / Archaeology; ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A brilliant history of the land into which more historical and cultural events were croweded than perhaps into any area of equal size. For Syria has either invented or transmitted to mankind such benefits as monotheistic religion, philosophy, law, trade, agriculture, and our allphabet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Syria from Way Back to the Pre-Islamic Period

This history contains the details a student of history should be familiar with; but, for the average person interested in history, it is much too detailed.

For the most part, it is easy to read. However, for most people, the book would be substantially more clear if the author provided a short summary of each Part.

Nevertheless, I found it interesting because it brings out the story of large influential groups such as Seleucid institutions that do not make the cut in high level history.
... Read more

Product Description

Israel and Syria: The Military Balance and Prospects of War provides a detailed and current picture of the military capabilities of Israel and Syria, reflecting the changes and lessons of the Israel-Hezbollah War in 2006 and other recent conflicts. It offers extensive analysis, supported by tables and charts, on the trends in military spending, arms imports and technology transfers, military manpower, weapons, and orders of battle. By going beyond military balance analysis, Cordesman examines the probable nature and results of a future war and how the readiness, capability, tactics, and technology on each side would shape its outcome.

Israel and Syria: The Military Balance and Prospects of War shows how a dangerous new conflict between both nations would cripple all strides in strategic gains and Israeli-Syrian diplomacy. On the other hand, peace negotiations would offer a safer, more productive relationship. Israel and Syria need to consider the true nature of their military balance and the undermining effect to both nations as well as the costs and risks of any future conflict. Although Syria does retain important options in terms of asymmetric and proxy conflicts, it would fail in its attempt to recapture the Golan. While Israel would almost certainly win a future war, it cannot make gains from acquiring more Syrian territory and a new war would create major problems with its neighbors and in dealing with the Palestinians.

The risk of a new Israeli-Syrian conflict is so serious that both sides need to understand the true nature of their military balance, and the costs and risks of any future conflict. Israel and Syria: The Military Balance and Prospects of War shows how dangerous a new conflict could be, that neither side can make lasting strategic gains from a future conflict, and that peace negotiations offer a far safer and more productive option. It provides a detailed and current picture of the military capabilities of Israel and Syria, reflecting the changes and lessons of the Israel-Hezbollah War in 2006 and other recent conflicts. Israel and Syria: The Military Balance and Prospects of War provides extensive analysis, supported by tables and charts, on the trends in military spending, arms imports and technology transfers, military manpower, weapons, and orders of battle. By going beyond military balance analysis, Cordesman examines the probable nature and results of a future war and how the readiness, capability, tactics, and technology on each side would shape its outcome.

Product Description
A brilliant history of the land into which more historical and cultural events were croweded than perhaps into any area of equal size. For Syria has either invented or transmitted to mankind such benefits as monotheistic religion, philosophy, law, trade, agriculture, and our allphabet. ... Read more

Product Description
A brilliant history of the land into which more historical and cultural events were croweded than perhaps into any area of equal size. For Syria has either invented or transmitted to mankind such benefits as monotheistic religion, philosophy, law, trade, agriculture, and our allphabet. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London : J.J. GriffinPublication date: 1852Subjects: Greece -- HistoryMacedonia -- HistorySyria -- HistoryNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1903.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more