When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World - by Hugh Kennedy (Paperback)

About the Book

In this deftly woven narrative, Kennedy introduces the rich history of the 8th and 9th century and to the men and women of the palaces at Baghdad and Samarra--the caliphs, viziers, eunuchs, and women of the harem--who fashioned the glorious days of the Arabian Nights.

Book Synopsis

The "golden age of Islam" in the eighth and ninth centuries was as significant to world history as the Roman Empire was in the first and second centuries. The rule of Baghdad's Abbasid Dynasty stretched from Tunisia to India, and its legacy influenced politics and society for years to come. In this deftly woven narrative, Hugh Kennedy introduces us to the rich history and flourishing culture of the period, and the men and women of the palaces at Baghdad and Samarra-the caliphs, viziers, eunuchs, and women of the harem that produced the glorious days of the Arabian Nights.

Review Quotes

Baghdad, Virtually nothing remains of the city of the early Abassid caliphs but this nineteenth-century drawing by Lieutenant J. Fitzjames, R.N., captures something of the atmosphere, the domes and palaces by the Tigris and the bridge of boats across the river.

About the Author

Hugh Kennedy is a professor of Arabic at SOAS, University of London. The author of many books, including The Courts of the Caliphs and The Great Arab Conquests, Kennedy lives in London and Scotland, Great Britain.