This list represents all the books currently in my collection about the Middle East. The earliest purchase of books on this list was 1981, many of these are no doubt out of print by now.
I have recently (April 2006) added another couple dozen books, reorganized the sections (alpha by title), tried to increase the general usefulness of the comments, and made minor formatting changes.
* Art (inc. Metal and Tilework) * Gardens * Embroidery * Design Compilations * Textiles * Persian Painting * Cooking and Food * Technology (inc seafaring and mapmaking) * Historical Biographies/Autobiographies * Modern Biographies/Autobiographies * General History * Specific History Topics * Religion * Sociology * Just Reference * Reference Books about Modern Times (post 1600) * Historical Literature * Modern Literature * Folktales * Thousand and One Nights * Belly Dance * Arms and Armor * Persian (Language) * Arabic * Women's Studies * Other Interesting Books
Islamic Arts
Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair
Phaidon, 1997
ISBN 0-7148-3176-X, paperback
This survey volume is divided into 3 historical periods: 600-900, 900-1500, and 1500-1800. These sections are further divided into subsections: architecture, writing/illumination, textile, and the catch-all of decorative arts. There are plenty of nice color photos.
Islamic Metalwork
Rachel Ward
Thames and Hudson, 1993
ISBN 0-500-2773, paperback
Great photos of pots and lamps and lunchboxes (the medieval version) and plates and...
Islamic Tiles
Venetia Porter
Interlink Books, 1995
ISBN 1-56656-191-4, paperback
This is the same series as Persian Painting (Canby) and Islamic Metalwork, but a different US publisher. Great info on the process of making tiles.
The Royal Hunter: Art of the Sasanian Empire
Prudence Oliver Harper
Asia House Gallery, 1978
ISBN 0-87848-050-1, hardback
A catalogue of an exhibition shown in 1978. Silver, gold, bronze work, stucco, textiles, seals, glass, ceramics, and stone.
Topkapi, the Treasury
J.M. Rogers, ed.
Little, Brown and Co, 1987?
ISBN 0-8212-1672-4, hardback
Part of a series with beautiful color plates of objects in the Topkapi museum in Istanbul. Most of the objects are from the 18th and 19th centuries. (Objects: Thrones and Regalia, Orders Decorations snd Personal Jewellery, Arms and Armour, Hardstones, Goldsmiths' work, Utensils, Toilet Articles Etc.)
Plants and Gardens in Persian, Mughal and Turkish Art
Norah M. Titley
The British Library, 1979
ISBN 0-904654-27-3, paperback
The Afghan Amulet: Travels from the Hindu Kush to Razgrad
Sheila Paine
St. Martin's Press, paperback
ISBN 0-312-11236-X, hardback
Ms. Paine researches tribal and ethnic embroidery. This is her account of a search for a specific pattern. She starts on the Indian/Pakistan border and ends up in Bulgaria. Interesting from a folk embroidery/textile point of view.
Arabesque: decorative needle work from the holy land
Ziva Amir
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977
ISBN 0-442-20290-3, hardback
Well laid out, easy to follow color cross stich designs. Nice photos of modern (or not very old) embroidered dresses, whole garments, and parts of garments. Most of the pictures are of insufficient detail to chart patterns from, but are very good for overall design. The author talks about various pattern elements: borders, cypress trees, stars, talismans, etc. The actual charted design elements are matched back to the pattern descriptions, nice for figuring out what that charted design was used for.
I no longer have this book in my collection: I sent it along to someone who could use it more than I.
Brief Guide to Persian Embroideries
Victoria and Albert Museum
Benham and Co. Ltd., Colchester, 1929, revised edition 1950
Code No. 29-1522, pamphlet
Black and white photos, most of pieces from 17th century, some from 16th century.
Turkish Embroidery
Gulseren Ramazanoglu
Van Nostrand Reinhold Ltd., 1976
ISBN 0-442-26799-1, hardback
Some photos of pre-1600 embroidered textiles - mostly 18th and 19th century stuff. Good instructions for traditional Turkish embroidery techniques.
Arabic Art in Color: 141 Designs and Motifs on 50 Plates
Prisse D'Avennes. editor
Dover, 1978
ISBN 0-486-23658-7, paperback
Treasury of Turkish Designs: 670 Motifs from Iznik Pottery
Azade Akar
Dover, 1988
ISBN 0-486-25594-8, paperback
These pottery designs can be adapted for embroidery and other decorative applications
Islamic Textiles
Patricia L. Baker
British Museum Press, 1995
ISBN 0-7141-2522-9, hardback
Excellent book - thankfully, only covers textiles, not rugs. Early Islamic
period to contemporary textiles. 6 pages of bibliography.
Moroccan Silk Designs
Lucien Vogel, editor
Dover, 1996
ISBN 0-486-29255-X, paperback
This is a collection of very lovely color reproductions of patterns from Moroccan silk sashes. The notes on the back cover indicate that the designs were reproduced "from a rare French portfolio", but there is no indication of how old the original textiles are.
Persian Printed Cottons
Jennifer Wearden
Harry N. Abrams, 1989
ISBN 0-8109-3903-7, paperback
One in the series 'Victoria Albert Colour Books'.
Persian Textile Designs, International Design Library
Mehry Motamen Reid
Stemmer House, 1984
ISBN 0-88045-027-4, paperback
Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart (Textile Arts of Safavid and Qajar Iran (16th to 19th Centuries))
Carol Bier
Textile Museum, 1987
ISBN 0-87405-026-X, paperback
This goes into great detail about how the textiles were made. The majority of items discussed are after 1600ce.
Art of the Persian Courts: selections from the Art and History Trust Collection
Abolala Soudavar, Cleveland Beach
Marquand Books, 1992
ISBN 0-8478-1660-5, hardback
Beautiful, large reproductions of paintings, also photos of other art objects.
Lost Treasures of Persia: Persian art in the Hermitage Museum
Vladimir Loukonine, Anatoli Ivanov
Mage Publishers, 1996
ISBN 0-934211-49-3, hardback
There are paintings in here I have not seen anywhere else.
Persian Painting
Sheila R Canby
Thames and Hudson, 1993
ISBN 0-500-27730-3
Many fine reproductions, if you can only afford one book with color reproductions of miniature paintings - this is the one to get (about $21.00)
Persian Painting: Five Royal Safavid Manuscripts of the Sixteenth Century
Stuart Cary Welch
George Braziller, 1976. Third printing 1996
ISBN 0-8076-0813-0, paperback
This guy kind of bugs me. In one place he says "Costumes and settings, as usual in Iranian painting, are idealized from contemporary life rather than being reconstructions of the period they illustrate." (p. 35) Then he says that "His textile patterns and still-life objects are precisely observed and scrupulously painted. Often, they show is things that have not otherwise survived." (p 88). Ok, you can't have it both ways! But, rant aside, this is another good book that is even more interesting because it focuses on a particular time and place.
The age of this book is evident in the not very crisp reproductions of the paintings.
"Alexander visits Queen Nushaba in the guise of an envoy, but she recognises him from his portrait"
Henry Stone and son Printers Ltd., 1981
BL/C/OM/113
"The awakening of Kumbhakarna"
Henry Stone and son Printers Ltd.,1977
BL/C/OM/108
"Building a palace for one of Bahram Gur's wives"
Henry Stone and son Printers Ltd.,1978
BL/C/OM/082
"Combat of Humay and Humayun"
Henry Stone and son Printers Ltd.,1976
BL/C/OM/006
"Four men admiring a handsome youth"
Henry Stone and son Printers Ltd.,1981
BL/C/OM/066
"Khusrau sees Shirin Bathing"
Henry Stone and son Printers Ltd.,1976
BL/C/OM/011
"King Nushirvan and the owls"
Henry Stone and son Printers Ltd.,1977
BL/C/OM/037
Afghan Food "&" Cookery
Helen Saberi
Hippocrene Books, 2002
ISBN 0-7818-0807-3, paperback
The Art of Persian Cooking
Forough Hekmat
Hippocrene Books, 1994
ISBN 0-7818-0241-5, paperback
A modern cookbook. Orignally published by Doubleday in 1974, it is more than just a cookbook. The author goes into detail about the context in which food is served, festivals and holy days.
A Book of Middle Eastern Food
Claudia Roden
Vintage, 1974
ISBN 0-394-71948-4, paperback
Copyright 1968, 1972 by Claudia Roden. Little bit of history, whole lotta recipes, many collected from friends and relatives.
Delights from the Garden of Eden: a Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine
Nawal Nasrallah
1st Books Library, 2003
ISBN 1-4033-4793-X, paperback
A Drizzle of Honey: the Lives and Recipes of Spain's Secret Jews
David M. Gitlitz, Linda Kay Davidson
St. Martin's Press, 1999
ISBN 0-312-19860-4, hardback
Recipes recreated from textual references, interesting but hardly historical
God's Banquet: Food in Classical Arabic Literature
Geert Jan van Gelder
Columbia University Press, 2000
ISBN 0-231-11948-8, hardback
1st published by Curzon Press, 2000
Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights
Nesta Ramazani
University Press of Virginia, 1974
ISBN 0-8139-0962-7, hardback
The Yemenite Cookbook
Zion Levi "&" Hani Agabria
Seaver Books, 1988
ISBN 0-8050-0394-0, hardback
"Biblical recipes ... adapted by Zion Levi, owner and renowned chef of Zion Exclusive in Tel Aviv." (flyleaf)
Arab Seafaring
George F. Hourani
Princton University Press, 1995
ISBN 0-691-00032-8, paperback
Great Book! How'd you like to sail in a boat that was essentially sewn together? Fascinating information about trade routes and ship construction.
The Camel and the Wheel
Richard W. Bulliet
Columbia University Press, rev. ed. 1990
ISBN 0-231-07235-X, paperback
Originally published Harvard University Press, 1975. 268 pages about camels. Examines the disuse of wheeled transport in favour of the camel. Not at all dry or dull, the most fun I've had reading about camels in my life!
Cartography in the Traditional Islamic and South Asian Societies
J.B. Harley "&" David Woodward, ed.
University of Chicago Press, 1992
ISBN 0-226-31635-1i, hardcover
This is vol 2, bk 1 from the History of Cartography. Pricey, but worth it.
Islamic Technology: an illustrated history
Ahmad Yusuf al-Hassan and Donald R. Hill
Cambridge University Press, 1986
ISBN 0-521-42239-6, paperback
Originally published UNESCO. Extensive coverage of pre 1600 technology. However, it is difficult to determine exactly when or where the processes and techniques the authors discuss were actually used.
The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim Traveler of the 14th Century
Ross E Dunn
University of California Press, 1989
ISBN 0-520-06743-6, paperback
This is not a translation of his memoirs, but rather an explanation of them.
An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and Warrior in the Period of the Crusades, Memoirs of Usamah Ibn-Munqibd
Translated by Philip K. Hitti
Princeton University Press, 1987
ISBN 0-691-02269-0, paperback
Originally published Columbia University Press, 1929. Contains lots of detail about life in that time period. Hunting, daily life, etc.
Avicenna
Lenn E Goodman
Routledge, 1992
ISBN 0-415-07409-6, paperback
Really about his philosophy, also has info on his life.
An Afghanistan Picture Show: or, how I saved the world
William T. Vollmann
Farrar Straus Giroux, 1992
ISBN 0-374-10105-1
Has to do with the late 20th century conflicts in Afghanistan.
The Blindfold Horse: Memories of a Persian Childhood
Shusha Guppy
Beacon Press,1988
ISBN 0-8070-7043-2, paperback
Account of growing up in Persia in the 20th century.
Daughter of Persia: A Woman's Journey from Her Father's Harem Through the Islamic Revolution.
Sattareh Farman Farmaian with Dona Munker
Doubleday, 1993
ISBN 0-385-46866-0, paperback
Another fascinating 20th century account.
Marmaduke Pickthall: British Muslim
Peter Clark
Quartet Books, 1986
ISBN 0-7043-2514-4, hardback
Pickthall (1875-1936) converted from Christianity to Islam, eventually living and working in India (for the Indians, not the British). This book is a study of his ideas and of his writings.
My Forbidden Face
"Latifa" with Shekeba Hachemi
Hyperion, 2001
ISBN 0-7868-6901-1, hardback
Translated by Linda Coverdale. This is a 1st person account of the social upheaval a girl experienced in Kabul between 1997 and 2001.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom: a Triumph
T. E. Lawrence
Doubleday Doran, 1935
ISBN not available, hardcover
Grim, glorious, fasinating account.
Three Women of Herat
Veronica Doubleday
University of Texas Press
ISBN 0-292-75041-2, paperback
Fascinating account of the life of 3 women in 20th century Herat (city in Afghanistan).
West of Kabul, East of New York: an Afghan American story
Tamim Ansary
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002
ISBN 0-374-28757-0, hardback
With Lawrence in Arabia
Lowell Thomas
Star Books, Garden City Publishing Company. 1924
ISBN not available, hardcover
Early Islam
Desmond Stewart and the Editors of Time Life books
Time Incorporated, 1967
LCCCN 67-27863, hardback
Good general survey of history, but some of the research is probably outdated by now. The usual nice maps and graphs from Time incorporated.
A History of the Arab Peoples
Albert Hourani
Warner Books, 1991
ISBN 0-446-39392-4, paperback
Originally published Harvard University Press, New York Times best-seller.
The History and Culture of the Ancient Middle East and North Africa
Adnan Abu-Ghazaleh
Amana Books, 1991
ISBN 0-915597-84-5, paperback
Starts before ancient Egypt and goes through the death of Muhammad
Islamic History
R. Stephen Humphreys
I.B. Tauris, 1991
1-85043-360-7, paperback
Covers the "Central Islamic Lands" (defined by the areas between the Nile and Oxus rivers, North Africa, and Spain) from the years 600-1500. Deals with political and social history of that region.
"The Islamic World"
SCA published pamphlet series
David Friedman, Steve Gaddis, David B. Appleton
Complete Anachronist #51
Arab Historians of the Crusades
Francesco Gabrieli
University of California Press, 1984
ISBN 0-520-05224-2, paperback
First published in Italian in 1957, translated by E. J. Costello. First published in English, 1969.
The Crusades
Hans Eberhard Mayer
Oxford University Press, 1972
ISBN 0-19-873016-0, paperback
Translated by John Gillingham. First published in German in 1965. Covers the crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries.
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes
Amin Maalouf
Schocken Books, 1985
ISBN 0-8052-0898-4, paperback
Translated by Jon Rothschild from French from Arabic.
Higher Learning in Islam: The Classical Period A.D. 700-1300
Charles Michael Stanton
Rowman "&" Littlefield, 1990
ISBN 0-8476-7645-5, hardback
Medieval Persia: 1040-1797
David Morgan
Longman Group, UK, 1988
ISBN #, TYPE (hardback/paperback)
Part of "A History of the Near East" series.
The Muslim Discovery of Europe
Bernard Lewis
W.W. Norton and Co., 1982
ISBN 0 393 30233 4, paperback
How the Muslim world saw Europe and the Europeans, mostly after 1600
The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire
Lord Kinros
William Morrow and Co., 1979
ISBN 0-688-08093-6, paperback
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The Ottomans: Dissolving Images
Andrew Wheatcroft
Penguin, 1995
ISBN 0-14-016879-6, paperback
History of Ottoman Empire
The Political Lanquage of Islam
Bernard Lewis
The University of Chicago Press, 1988
ISBN 0-226-47693-6, paperback
If you read anything containing political terms, this is the book for you. Remember, different cultures have different meanings/interpretations for the same word.
Race and Slavery in the Middle East
Bernard Lewis
Oxford University Press, 1990
ISBN 0-19-505326-5
Interesting
Social Life Under the Abbasids
M.M. Ahsan
Longman, 1979
ISBN 0-582-78079-9, hardback
Very detailed, specific information covering 786 to 902AD.
Approaching the Qur'an
Michael Sells
White Cloud Press, 1999
ISBN 1-883991-26-9, paperback
Includes a CD with examples of recitation by several different reciters.
Islam
Isma'il R. al-Faruqi
Argus Communications, 1979
ISBN 0-89505-022-6, paperback
From a series called "Major World Religions". Basic info about the faith and beliefs of Islam
Islam
Jamal J. Elias
Prentice Hall, 1999
ISBN 0-13-266263-9, paperback
Part of the "Religions of the World" series.
The Islamic Tradition
World Religions Curriculum Development Center, Minneapolis
Argus Communications, 1978
ISBN 0-89505-009-9, paperback
More basic info on Islam.
The Koran
N.J. Dawood, translator
Penguin, 1974
ISBN 0-14-044052-6, paperback
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Shi`ite Islam
"Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i
State University of New York Press, 2nd edition 1977
ISBN 0-87395-390-8
Translated from the Persian and edited with an introduction and Notes by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
The World of Islam: faith, people, culture
Bernard Lewis, editor
Thames and Hudson, 1976
ISBN 0-500-27624-2, paperback
Excellent collection of articles on Islam - including a section on music.
A History of Islamic Societies, 2nd. edition
Ira M. Lapidus
Cambridge University Press, 2002
ISBN 0-521-77933-2, paperback
872 pages, extensive bibliography. Really, really good!
Loyalty and Leadership in an Early Islamic Soceity, revised edition
Roy Mottahedeh
I.B. Tauris, 2001
ISBN 1-86064-181-4, paperback
The Buyid dynasty in Iran and Iraq, 10th - 11th centuries.
Muslims Through Discourse: Religion and Ritual in Gayo Society
John R. Bowen
Princeton University Press, 1993
ISBN 0-691-02870-2, paperback
Explores Muslim society in the highlands of Sumatra.
Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, 2nd edition
Daniel G. Bates, Amal Rassam
Prentice Hall, 2001
ISBN 0-13-656489-5, paperback
Textbook
Society, Culture, and Change in the Middle East
Raphael Patai
University of Pensylvania Press, 1971
ISBN 0-8122-1009-3, paperback
Originally published as Golden River to Golden Road: Society, Culture, and Change in the Middle East
Veiled Sentiments: honor and poetry in a Bedouin society
Lila abu-Lughod
University of California Press, 1986
ISBN 0-520-22473-6, paperback
Anthropological study
The Islamic Dynasties
Clifford Edmund Bosworth
Edinburgh University Press, rev. ed. 1980
ISBN 0-85224-402-9, paperback
Just what the title says, pages and pages of dynastic trees
Islamic Names
Annemarie Schimmel
Edinburgh University Press, 1989
ISBN 0-85224-612-9, paperback
Also some Turkish names
A Middle East Studies Handbook
Jere L Bacharach
University of Washington Press, 1986 (expanded)
ISBN 0-295-96144-9, paperback
Historical atlas, chronology, calendar conversion chart/
I find this book very useful. I believe I have refered to it at least once during every research project.
A Popular Dictionary of Islam
Ian Richard Netton
NTC Publishing Group, 1997
ISBN 0-8442-0422-6, paperback
Originally published 1992 by Curzon Press (London)
Afghanistan
Roland and Sabrina Michaud
Thames and Hudson, 1980
ISBN 0-86565-053-5
Beautiful photos of landscape and people in Afghanistan before the recent conflicts.
Harem: The World Behind the Veil
Alev Lytle Croutier
Abbeville, 1989
ISBN 1-55859-219-9
The Himalaya, Our World in Color
Lesley Clark and Ralph Keggell, editors
The Guidebook Company, 1990, 1989
ISBN 962-217-108-7, paperback
Modern photos of people and places in the Himalayas.
The Conference of the Birds
Farid ud-Din Attar
Penguin, 1984
ISBN 0-14-044434-3, paperback
Translation by Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis of work by the 12th century Persian poet.
This an account, in verse, of a mystical journey.
The Dabistan or School of Manners
David Shea and Anthony Troyer, translators
M. Walter Dunne, 1901
ISBN not available
Part of the Universal Classics Library.
The Essential Rumi
Coleman Barks with John Moyne
Castle Books, 1997
ISBN 0-7858-0871-X, hardback
These are re-tellings of Rumi's poems, rather than strict translations. I believe having an English language poet render these verses was a Very Good Thing.
Mystical Poems of Rumi 1: First Selection, Poems 1-200
Jalal al-Din Rumi
University of Chicago Press, 1968
ISBN 0-226-73151-0, paperback
Translated by A.J. Arberry
Ottoman Literature
E. J. W. Gibb, translator
M. Walter Dunne, 1901
ISBN not available
Part of the Universal Classics Library. The whole title page reads: Ottoman Literature. The Poets and Poetry of Turkey. Translated from the Arabic with introduction and Biographical Notes by E. J. W. Gibb, member of the Royal Asiatic Society with Arabian, Persian, and Hebrew Poems, and a Special Introduction by Theodore P. Ion, J.D. National University, Washington D.C.
whew!
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings
Dick Davis, translator
Viking, 2006
ISBN 0-670-03485-1, hardback
This is a wonderful prose translation of most of the epic. The
introduction is detailed and not too terribly scholarly. The translation
is the same as that in the earlier 3 volume Mage Books publication, and
the illustrations in this Viking edition are lovely modern line
drawings rather than reproductions of miniature paintings.
The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam
Jerome W. Clinton, trans
University of Washington Press, 1987
ISBN 0-295-96577-0, hardback
One episode, in a facing page translation, of a famous story from the Shahnameh.
Hajji Baba of Ispahan
James Morier
Random House, 1937
ISBN not available
Amusing story, first published in 1824.
Kara Kush
Idries Shah
Stein and Day
ISBN 0-1828-3098-9
Fictional account of recent conflict in Afghanistan. Copyright 1986 by Idries Shah.
Lie Down with Lions
Ken Follett
William Morrow and Co., 1986
ISBN 0-688-05891-4
Fictional account of Afghanistan from 1981 to 1983.
Two Women in One
Nawal el-Saadawi
Seal Press, 1986
ISBN 0-931188-40-7, paperback
Translated by Osman Nusairi and Jana Gough. fiction
The Walking Drum
Louis L'Amour
Bantam, 1985
ISBN 0-553-28040-6, paperback
Not a Western, but a historical novel spanning Europe, Russian Steppes, Constantinople.
The Wedding of Zein and other stories
Tayeb Salih
Lynne Reinner, 1999
0-89410-201-X, paperback
Translated from Arabic by Denys Johnson-Davies.
Arab Folktales
Iner Bushnaq (editor)
Pantheon, 1987
ISBN 0-394-75179-5
Tales collected in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Arabian Nights
Translated by Husain Haddawy
W.W. Norton, 1990
ISBN 0-393-31367-0, paperback
Muhsin Mahadi edited a 14th century Syrian Manuscript of the stories, which was translated into this edition. This represents, in my opinion, the most readable and historically accurate version of the 1001 Nights.
The Arabian Nights II: Sindbad and other popular stories
Translated by Husain Haddawy
W.W. Norton, 1995
ISBN 0-393-31517-7, paperback
Presents 4 popular stories that do not appear in the 14th century Syrian manuscript.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night 4 volumes
Powys Mathers, translator
Routledge "&" Kegan Paul, 1986
ISBN 0-7102-0869-3 (set), paperback
An 1937 English translation of a older French translation of an Arabic version.
I would not recommend it simply because of the distortions (planned or not) introduced by such a chain of translation.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vols. 1 - 10.
Richard F. Burton
Easton Press, 1994 - 2000.
ISBN not available
The entire multi-volume set has been published by Easton Press. There
are other, cheaper versions of this edition out there. As a window into how
Victorian England represented Arabian culture, it is fascinating. An accurate,
modern translation of the Tales it is not.
"The World's Oldest Dance: The Origins of Belly Dancing"
Karol Henderson Harding
SCA published pamphlet series
Complete Anachronist #70,
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"The Judgement of Allah: The Arms and Armor of Islam"
Fitzhugh MacCrae
SCA published pamphlet series
Complete Anachronist #46
There is good research in these volumes, but keep in mind that the beautiful sketches and paintings in this series are modern re-creations!
"Armies of the Crusades"
Terrance Wise, G.A. Embelton
Osprey, 1978
ISBN 0-85045-125-6, paperback
Men-At-Arms Series #75
"The Armies of Islam 7th - 11th Centuries"
David Nicolle, Angus McBride
Osprey, 1982
ISBN 0-85045-448-4, paperback
Men-At-Arms Series #125
"Armies of the Ottoman Turks 1300-1774"
David Nicolle, Angus McBride
Osprey, 1983
ISBN 0-85045-511-1, paperback
Men-At-Arms Series #140
"El Cid and the Reconquista 1050-1492"
David Nicolle, Angus McBride
Osprey, 1988
ISBN 0-85045-840-4, paperback
Men-At-Arms Series #200
"Saladin and the Saracens"
David Nicolle, Angus McBride
Osprey, 1986
ISBN 0-85045-682-7, paperback
Men-At-Arms Series #171
"Saracen Faris 1050-1250AD"
David Nicolle, Christa Hook
Osprey, 1994
ISBN 0-85045-453-9, paperback
Warrior Series #10
1001 Persian-English Proverbs
Simin K. Habibian
Ibex Publishers, 1999
ISBN 0-936347-92-9, paperback
Colloquial Persian
Leila Moshiri
Routledge, 1988
ISBN 0-415-2618-0, book and cassette tape set
Good basic vocabulary and phrases for travel. Persian language in Roman alphabet transliteration.
Modern Persian
John Mace
NTC Publishing Group, 1993
ISBN 0-8442-3815-5, paperback
Teach Yourself series: Persian is in the Arabic alphabet.
Persian Vocabulary
Ann K. S. Lambton
Cambridge University Press, 1954, reprinted 1993
ISBN 0-521-09154-3
Designed for a begining student learner of Persian
Arabic Proverbs
J.L. Burckhardt
Curzon Press
ISBN 0-7007-0185-0, paperback
First published in 1830
Elementary Modern Standard Arabic
Peter F. Abboud et al
Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of Michigan 1975
ISBN 0-916798-04-6
Textbook for a course in Arabic. Not useful without the tapes and the workbook and a live teacher.
The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
J. Milton Cowan, editor
Spoken Languages Services, 1976
ISBN 0-87950-001-8, paperback
Arabic-English "Pocket" dictionary - 2 and a half inches thick, really thin pages. Good.
The Forgotten Queens of Islam
Fatima Mernissi
University of Minnesota Press, translation 1993 by Polity Press
ISBN 0-8166-2438-0, hardback
Originally published in French as Sultanes oubliees
Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women
Geraldine Brooks
Doubleday, 1995
ISBN 0-385-47577-2, paperback
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Reading Lolita in Tehran: a Memoir in Books
Azar Nafisi
Random House, 2003
ISBN 0-965-47080-6, paperback
Women and Gender in Islam
Leila Ahmed
Yale University Press
ISBN 0-300-05583-8
Women in the Medieval Islamic World
Gavin R. G. Hambly, editor
St. Martin's Press, 1998
ISBN 0-312-21057-4, hardback
Excellent collection of essays. You might want to wait for a paperback version - this will run you about 60.00 bucks.
Women in Middle Eastern History: Shifting Boundaries in Sex and Gender
Nikki R. Keddie and Beth Baron, editors
Yale University Press, 1991
ISBN 0-300-05697-4
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Cut My Cote
Dorothy K. Burnham
Royal Ontario Museum, 1973, 1997
ISBN 0-88854-046-9, paperback
Line drawings of shirts, including European men's and womens and and man's shirt from Islamic Egypt. Cool!
