The Court of the Caliphs by Hugh Kennedy
From a rebellion planned in a remote desert town to the founding of Baghdad in AD 762, the rule of the Abbasid dynasty was looked back on as the golden era of the Islamic Conquest. The Caliphs formed the model for succeeding muslim regimes. From military conquests to patronizing poetry, building palaces, and the formal structure of the court - harems, viziers, eunuchs and the tales of the Arabian Nights - the Abbasid caliphate offered a historical ideal for later empires and their rulers to aspire to. Yet the true story of this fascinating empire has been forgotten outside the academic world. And it deserves to be rescued: it is an epic story in every sense, with larger-than-life rulers, exotic slave girls, inventive tortures, and enough court intrigue to frighten a Borgia.
This book is well written, timely and fascinatingIt deserves to be read widely and to be followed by many more. THE TIMES This richly-woven history of the Abbasid caliphs matches pace to depth as it explains how the city on the Tigris gave the world lessons in poetry, luxury and all the arts of living and ruling. INDEPENDENT
Hugh Kennedy is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Professor of Middle Eastern History at the University of St. Andrews.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780753818961 |
| ISBN 10 | 0753818965 |
| Title | The Court of the Caliphs |
| Author | Hugh Kennedy |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| Year published | 2005-11-03 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |