The Venture of Islam, Volume 1: The Classical Age of Islam | Date: 28 April 2011, 05:27
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The Venture of Islam, Volume 1: The Classical Age of Islam
By Marshall G. S. Hodgson
* Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
* Number Of Pages: 539
* Publication Date: 1977-02-15
* ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0226346838
* ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780226346830
Product Description:
The Venture of Islam has been honored as a magisterial work of the mind since its publication in early 1975. In this three-volume study, illustrated with charts and maps, Hodgson traces and interprets the historical development of Islamic civilization from before the birth of Muhammad to the middle of the twentieth century. This work grew out of the famous course on Islamic civilization that Hodgson created and taught for many years at the University of Chicago.
"This is a nonpareil work, not only because of its command of its subject but also because it demonstrates how, ideally, history should be written."—The New Yorker
Volume 1, The Classical Age of Islam, analyzes the world before Islam, Muhammad's challenge, and the early Muslim state between 625 and 692. Hodgson then discusses the classical civilization of the High Caliphate. The volume also contains a general introduction to the complete work and a foreword by Reuben Smith, who, as Hodgson's colleague and friend, finished the Venture of Islam after the author's death and saw it through to publication.
Summary: Complementary readings to this masterful book
Rating: 4
After reading Mr. Netman's excellent review, I will only add that, for a better understanding of Islam (neither flattering nor biased against it), I would suggest reading the following works, it is worth it:
A) ASSESSMENTS OF ISLAM: 1) The best, impartial, wise: "Islam. History, present, future" by Hans Kung . 2) Moderate Islam at its best: "The Great Theft : Wrestling Islam from the Extremists" by Khaled M. Abou El Fadl; and 3) Harsh but well argued: "Muslims in the West: Redefining the Separation of Church & State" by Sami Awad Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh;
B) WOMEN AND ISLAM. 4) A good reference book: "Women In Islam: An Anthology From The Qu'ran And Hadiths" by Nicholas Awde; and 5) Autobiography of a courageous woman: "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She is a controversial thinker with a very interesting life.
C) HISTORY: 6) Turks: "The Turks in World History" by Carter Vaughn Findley; 7) Political theory: "God's Rule : Government and Islam" by Patricia Crone; and 8) Jihad: Understanding Jihad" by David Cook.
Summary: INFORMATIVE, BUT SLOW GOING AT TIMES
Rating: 4
Hodgson covers the first few hundred years of Islamic history in this volume. He does not aim to tell about everything that happened, only give us a broad look at the period. Islamic literature, law and customs are all included.
My biggest problem here is with the introduction, which takes up about a fifth of the book. Hodgson feels compelled to justify his entire branch of study in this chapter, as if the subject were somehow unimportant. Again and again he points out that that what we know is not the full truth. Islam and the Arabs are too complex for that. I have never liked this approach both because it is obvious and unworkable. The whole truth cannot be known or fully appreciated, yes, but our limited brains are at the same time forced to make judgements and conclusions. Failure to recognize this has stripped many an academic work of much of its value.
Summary: There are better resources out there
Rating: 1
Since you're reading about this book, I assume you're interested in a scholarly work, as opposed to "Idiot's Guide" or "___ for Dummies" style. In this case, I recommend that you read instead "The Legacy of Jihad" by Andrew Bostom and Hugh Fitzgerald, a scholarly work that is more comprehensive, better researched, and more objective. I purchased both books, but after reading a few hundred pages of both, I decided to keep "The Legacy of Jihad" and return "The Venture of Islam" to the bookstore.
Summary: Outstanding
Rating: 5
I bought the 3 volume series of Marshall Hodgson's series on Islamic History after having heard about it in a conference. I count myself lucky that i have it with me. This series is a real gem, a scholarly work which deserves its place among the best of Islamic history books there are. Hodgson did not let his own bias filter through in these books and the result is a very objective and masterly look at Islamic history or 'Islamdom" as Marshall calls it. Definitely worth having this series on your shelves.
Sohail Abbas
abbas25304@gmail.com
Summary: A masterpiece survey of Islamic history. THIS IS THE ONE!
Rating: 5
I originally read volume 1 and 2 for an upper division history course in university and the effect these books had on me is profound.
This is THE survey book on Islamic civilization and history. There are several other worthwhile survey books on the topic (especially Lapidus), but this is the master work in the field. This is where you should start.
It is sad, but true to say that the 3rd volume is not as good as the first two volumes. This is due to the fact that Hodgson passed away before he could finish it, and it was completed by his friends in the academic community. That being said, Volumes 1 and 2 are masterpeices!
Everything you ever wanted to know about Islmaic history is here in as much detail as can possibly be done in a survey work. If you want more detail, you should read books that delve into specific topics in more detail (i.e. The Assassins, the Abbasid Caliphate, Pax-Mongolia, The Saljuks, The Gunpowder Empires, Adib court culture, etc.), but for an all-emcompassing work on Islamic history, culture, and society, from pre-Islamic pegan times in the Arabian peninsula all the way to the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Volumes 1 and 2 are THE MUST HAVE books on the subject. No library on Islamic History is complete without these two.
Hodgson himself has become a psudo-legend in academic circles because of this work. His obsession with detail, exhibited in this work, reminds me of J. R. R. Tolkin and his imagined "Lord of the Rings" histories except that Hodgson's work is the real thing! Venture of Islam has influenced writers outside Academic circles such has Frank Herbert's Science Fiction masterpeice "Dune." Herbert fans will recongize this as soon they look at the table of contents for The Venture of Islam
For those interested in reading more about Hodgeson himself, I highly recommend an essay written by Edmund Burke III which analyzes his academic works and how his life as a Quaker influecned his skills and style as a historian and a writer.
One cautionary note: This is not light reading. This work is indended for historians, or at the very least serious history students. Those seeking a casual "glossing over" of Islamic history should look elsewhere.
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