Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Ancient - Greece    3. Ancient - Rome    4. Essays    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Jewish - Ancient    9. Ancient Greece    10. Ancient Rome    11. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    12. Hellenistic World; Maccabean Revolution; Jesus; ancient Syria; ancient Egypt; ancient Greece; ancient Rome; Islam; Judaism; Paganism; Christianity;    13. History / Ancient / General   

Reviews (1)

Exquisite!Scholarship at its best.
This book presents a truly comprehensive account of the Great Mosque of Damascus; from a consideration of both ornament and structure, the author traces the formations of an Umayyad visual culture in an innovative and most illuminating way.The links the author makes between Umayyad caliphate and Byzantium are truly ingenious in their setting of not only the historical context, but also through a reading of the formal and "archival" evidence within the very architecture.In the field of Art History, and specifically, Islamic Art History, this work is destined to be revolutionary and classic all at once. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Islamic    3. Architecture, Medieval    4. Damascus    5. General    6. Interior Design - General    7. Jami al-Umawi al-Kabir (Da    8. JÃ¥ami° al-UmawÃ¥i al-KabÃ¥ir (Damascus, Syria)    9. Religion    10. Religious Buildings    11. Social Science    12. Sociology    13. Syria    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 500 to c 1500    15. Islam    16. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. French occupation, 1918-1946    3. History    4. Lebanon    5. Middle East - History - 20th Century    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Syria   

Subjects:  1. 333 B.C.-634 A.D    2. Ancient - General    3. Economic History    4. Economic conditions    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Seleucids    9. Syria    10. Ancient Greece    11. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    12. History / Ancient / General   

Reviews (6)

Eternity to Eternity - A Precise Summary
THE BIG BANG TO NOW: A TIME LINE
"We are made of stardust... We live in Mystery..."
This little book will delight, educate but above all amaze those readers who are fortunate enough to find it.I was attracted by its beautiful cover, its paperback format and attractive size, but even as I picked it up I felt my fear of "science..." - I was totally unprepared for the excitement, the mental and spiritual stimulation the book provides.The holistic, individual-page presentation leads past fear and soon I was completely absorbed, savoring the quality of the writing itself, and fascinated by the story of "all of time."
Big Bang Made Easy
I am familiar with almost all the events described in The Big Bang to Now, but I still found it compulsive reading. The author succeeded in weaving the major events of time into a coherent whole that the reader can comprehend. The bookis not overwhelming in detail or scientific jargon or discourse about the latest findings, which might be why I understood more about how our universe is unfolding than before I read it.
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Subjects:  1. History / Ancient / General    2. Terry Herman Sissons, algae, Iran, Iraq, life, Middle East, Persian Gulf, Syria, tectonic plates, tetrapod, trilobite, Acheulean tools, aerobe, Africa, Akkadia, Alexander the Great, amniotic egg, amphibians, anaerobic, Anatolia, ancient, history, anthropo   

Reviews (9)

Indispensable biography, should be updated
You can't understand the Arab-Israeli Conflict without understanding Syria, the most unjustly maligned state in the Middle East. the only real book on this man
Asad of Syria.A very unknown man.Most know the history of Nasser.Most know the story of Arafat.Most know of Ben Gurion, Rabin and Begin.We all know Saddam or Iraq and the Ayatollah of Iran.What of Syria? This book tells the story of Asad and his nation.How he rose of humble roots as an Alawite minority to an officer in the Syrian air force, to the Ba'ath party and finally to dictator of Syria.How Asad invaded Lebanon and how he never stopped fighting the Israelis.In Fact Syria remains the one country bordering Israel to have not signed a peace treaty and exchanged ambassadors. Review
The book is full of good information on Hafiz Assad including facts that would be very interesting to any Middle East junkie.However, going through the book it all sounds very propoganda-like as if written by some Stalin's official biographer.I specifically found phrases like "Assad was constantly surrounded by enemies" quite amuzing reminding me of some off-shoot Soviet-era figure-head literature.I especially was suprised by spectacular conclusions Seale makes of Israeli and American policy - as if Assad was that wanderful angel manipulated by the cruel world of Nixon, Begin, and Gromyko.What really made me smile is the billions of dollars - claimed by the author - Israel made for itself by selling weapons to Iran.I seems that Seale tries to absolve Assad from Six Days War, to the October War, to the Syrian invasion of Lebanon, to just being a ruthless dictator. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1928-    2. 1930-2000    3. Assad, Hafez,    4. Biography    5. History - General History    6. Middle East - General    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Presidents    10. Syria    11. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    12. Biography: historical    13. History / Middle East   

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Islamic Studies    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Science    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Sociology    7. Social Science / Islamic Studies   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. History - General History    3. Ancient Greece    4. History   

Reviews (5)

A Timely Book on an Important Subject
So much has been made of the Saudi connection to terrorism and 9/11 that Syria's role in influencing events in the Middle East has been somewhat overshadowed.As the cradle of Arab nationalism and the birthplace of the Ba'ath party, Syria has used its ideological and geographic position to influence events throughout the history of the modern Middle East. Given Syria's recent role in sheltering and nurturing Hamas' leadership and the likes of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi and the current allegations by Jordan that Hamas affiliated terrorists captured in the Kingdom were recruited and trained in Syria, this is a book that is both timely and makes a significant contribution to our understanding of today's Middle East.Rabil clearly explains the complex events that have led to the current state of U.S. - Syrian relations and discusses the future consequences of a Syria dominated by Islamic Fundamentalists if our policies do not change.
Clear and convincing
The author makes a very clear case for a change in the United States' approach to Syria, in the context of the rise of fundamentalism and cross-border terrorism.Timely, nuanced, and thought-provoking.

A Must Read
Excellent book! Beneficial to both first time Middle East readers and those who already developed passion for this region. This complex political scene is explained with such ease and simplicity that it welcomes all readers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. Foreign relations    3. History - General History    4. Middle East - General    5. Military - Iraq War    6. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Syria    10. United States    11. War on Terrorism, 2001-    12. International relations    13. Social Science / Ethnic Studies    14. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle    15. USA   

Reviews (2)

an excellent book
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a facsinating story of a great warrior who fought for his country. I can recommend this book to anyone interested in the histroty of the muslim world.

The life story of a truly unique leader
Written by the late British historian Stanley Lane-Pools (1854-1931), Saladin: All-powerful Sultan And The Uniter Of Islam is an informed and informative biography of the great warrior, statesman, and faithful believer in Islam, Salah ad-Din ibn Ayyub, more commonly known as Saladin (A.D. 1138-1193). From his early years in a Kurdish military family to the beginning of his military service at age fourteen, to his conquest of Jerusalem marked by an unprecedentedly humane treatment of the citizens within, to his belief and application of civilized justice, Saladin: All-powerful Sultan And The Uniter Of Islam is the life story of a truly unique leader who deservedly earned his legendary status both in the West as well as throughout Islam. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1137-1193    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Historical - General    6. History    7. Jerusalem    8. Latin Kingdom, 1099-1244    9. Political    10. Religious    11. Saladin,    12. Sultan of Egypt and Syria,    13. Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 500 to c 1500    14. Biography: historical    15. Middle East    16. Political leaders & leadership    17. World history: c 500 to C 1500   

Reviews (1)

Complete and Attractive introduction to Antiochene Study
Kondoleon's book is wonderful collection of articles and images that serve as an excellent introduction to the archeology of Antioch.The focus is late antique.Although Antoich is most famous for its mosaics, the book covers other subjects, including sculpture, coinage and baths etc.The color images are beautiful and the reconstructed layouts of the mosaics IN SITU are superb and very helpful in the study of interior private architecture.Especially interesting were the computer reconstructions of the Antiochene bathes and a church.I think this is an excellent direction in art historical works as they really help visualize the buildings that are being reconstructed.Read more

Subjects:  1. Antioch    2. Antioch (Turkey)    3. Antiquities    4. Art    5. Art & Art Instruction    6. Art, Classical    7. Civilization    8. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    9. Exhibitions    10. History - Asian    11. History - General    12. Turkey    13. Ancient Near East    14. Ancient World    15. BCE to c 500 CE    16. Exhibition catalogues and specific collections    17. Syria    18. World history: c 500 to C 1500   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Buildings, structures, etc    3. Civilization    4. Damascus (Syria)    5. History    6. History - General    7. History - General History    8. Middle East - General    9. Architecture / History    10. Syria   

Reviews (1)

Informative but a bit emotional
This a good book to gather information and historical trends of the countries it talks about however I think the justifiably liberal point of view looses a little creditability because it gets emotional at times- sort of like it is trying to persuade me too much. I can do without the slights and overly slanted remarks. Facts reflect fact: you don't have to spin up the truth too much to get your point across. I like the book but it makes me think the author(s) might have been insiders or closely related to but for some reason now have sharp teeth and snarls about the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. International Relations - General    3. Political Science    4. Politics - Current Events    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. Current Events / General    9. International relations    10. Iran    11. North Korea    12. Syria    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography / Political    2. Middle East,History,Saladin,Sultan,Sultan Yusuf,Egypt,Syria,Kings,rulers,biography,Bahîa\',al-Dîin,Ibn,Shaddîad   

Reviews (4)

There are guides, and then there are guides
I bought this book while preparing for a trip to Syria, as the Lonely Planet had mentioned it in high esteem. While it is a great source of info, and does have some suggested itineraries, it is more of an index than a guide. Best guide to Syria
I have used Ross Burns' "Monuments of Syria" guide while visiting Syria and found it excellent. It gives detailed information and expert maps - making the whole discovery of the sites as easy as possible. I would recommend it to anyone visiting Syria.

Highly informative
This is a well written and meticulously researched guide. The author is obviously very knowledgeable and has done his homework thoroughly. You can't go wrong! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Archaeology    2. Art    3. Asia - General    4. History - General    5. History: World    6. Middle East - General    7. Pictorials    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Ancient World    10. Asian / Middle Eastern history: BCE to c 500 CE    11. Syria    12. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. 19th century    3. Anthropology - Cultural    4. Hamah (Syria)    5. Historiography    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Middle East - General    9. Social Science    10. Sociology   

Editorial Review

When the Muslims captured Jerusalem in 1187, Christian rulers across Europe responded to the call. While they raised funds and mustered armies, priests preached that killing "infidels" was morally proper and that crusaders would be guaranteed a place in heaven. Read more

Reviews (9)

Breathtaking.... a window on the past.
Regan does a fantastic job of bringing the historical characters of the period to life. He is not biased to either side and does a good job of presenting the facts. Although he tries to enter into the minds of his subjects, his efforts enrich rather than detract from the narrative.Regan's talents as a writer are obvious. He thrusts the reader deep into the conflict and leaves him to suffer in suspense as each battle is fought out. I am an Egyptian reader and for once I have found a 'Western' book that ignores the fanaticism and shallowness of our deeply troubled age. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the crusades, medieval warfare or history in general.

A fair study
I thought this book did a great job of presenting both sides and giving a fair apraisal of the leaders, Richard I and Saladin, of each side in the Third Crusade.Whereas the author does not gloss over the faults of each man, niether does he downplay the strengths of each man.In short, this is a great comparative biography that provides both education and entertainment in an easily accessable format.the author has done a great job of bringing the subject matter to life.

Good Comparisons
This book gives a good overview of two of the most famous leaders in medieval history.It starts comparing them in many aspects like their childhood, how did they reach power and what they did with the power when they got it. It covers the great strategies that each used in battles. In a particular chapter you feel that the two leaders were playing chess with each other. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1137-1193    2. Crusades    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Medieval    7. Military History - Medieval    8. Saladin,    9. Sultan of Egypt and Syria,    10. Third, 1189-1192    11. Richard    12. Saladin   

Subjects:  1. Christianity - History - Catholic    2. Christianity - History - General    3. Church history    4. Monasticism    5. Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600    6. Religion    7. Religion - Classic Works    8. Spirituality - General    9. Syria    10. Ã°Sanl¸urfa çIli (Turkey)    11. Biblical studies, criticism & exegesis    12. Books of the New Testament   

Reviews (1)

The book with the misleading title
Misleading title
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Subjects:  1. 2000-    2. Civil society    3. General    4. History - General History    5. International Relations - General    6. Middle East - General    7. Political Science    8. Political parties    9. Politics and government    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Syria    12. Asian studies    13. Human rights    14. Political Science / International Relations    15. Political activism    16. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (3)

For Specialists only!
This is one of those books which perhaps has influence in academic understanding of a region, people, or issue, but probably shouldn't be picked up by the general public: the subject is way to obscure, the presentation too esoteric, for the average reader to follow what's going on. The result is a fascinating book that looks at an obscure incident in the Arab past which has an influence on modern events, but does so in such a fashion that it's probably only for those who have a good working knowledge of the region already.
Important for understanding the origins of Arab Nationalism
The Great Syrian Revolt was a "seminal" and "heroic episode in the colonial history of Syria" marking the rise of Arab nationalism in the Middle East (14) . Although the Revolt has received much scholarly attention, almost all studies (with the exceptions of Philip Khoury and Hanna Batatu) have concentrated on urban nationalism espoused by an elite group of nobles and intellectuals (19). This is because scholars themselves are members of an urban elite and consequently, "focus their attention on people that they can identify with and relate to" (19). Moreover, many Syrian scholars happen to be members of notable families and interpret history "as the story of the scions of a dozen Damascus families" (8). Thus, there have been no studies tracing the relationships between the rural and urban regions of Syria during the French Mandate, or on their influence on nationalist politics. It is this void that Michael Provence seeks to fill in his groundbreaking The Great Syrian Revolt.
The Great Syrian Revolt and the Rise of Arab Nationalism.
An understanding of the late Ottoman period, the First World War, and the War's aftermath is essential to understanding the modern Middle East. This is a good, accessable step in that direction. It should be mentioned that there were also revolts in the same general time frame against a similar British occupation in Iraq. And the informed reader will also see parallels with the present conflict in Iraq.
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Subjects:  1. French    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Insurrection, 1925-1927    5. International Relations - General    6. Mandates    7. Middle East - General    8. Political Ideologies - Nationalism    9. Political Science    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Revolutionary    12. Syria    13. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    14. History / Middle East    15. Inter-war period, 1918-1939