ePub Europe and Islam by Franco Cardini in History

Review

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Not the Worst; not the Best.By A. E. HertzogFranco Cardini manages to synthesize 1400 years of interaction between Europe and the Muslim world in one; handy tome. Despite its shortcomings (and they are noticeable) the book is a useful addition to anyone already initiated into the field of Middle East history -- this is not a book for consumption by the uninformed.Despite a glaringly unsatisfactory bibliography; most of the facts in the book are sound. Every page is crammed with detail; and it's hardly worth taking notes from this book; as one's notes are likely to be as long as the book itself! Cardini generally avoids "fluff"; and sticks to the matter at hand pedantically well. This is not a grandly-written narrative; but an intensely informative textbook.However; there are a number of pitfalls Cardini makes; playing directly into the hands of the Politcally-Correct Establishment of the academic world. He dances awkwardly around the phrase "cross and crescent" in an attempt to play down the religious aspect of European-Muslim interaction; though it was a major aspect of European-Muslim relations for nearly a millenium. Instead; Cardini uses the clunky "Europe and Islam". Additionally; Cardini ignores a number of historical points. The swift; violent expansion of early Islam is boiled down to one dubious sentence; calling it; "a continuous; not always consistent process of conversion; imposed although seldom provoked."Cardini also declares that the battle of Tours-Poitiers in 732 had no major impact on Muslim expansion into Western Europe; though he admits; a few pages later; that the battle did indeed stop Muslim armies pushing into Gaul. Though this academic double-talk does not pervade the rest of the book; it is indeed present. Furthermore; other historical events are belittled to the point of unimportance. The sack of the Vatican in 846 by Muslims -- a HUGE event in medieval history -- recieves no more notice than a one-phrase acknowledgement that a "desecration" occured.However; despite occasional double-speak and the occasional questionable information; this book is a sound purchase for anyone already knowledgeable (to a small degree) in that field of history. Crammed with information not present in most wishy-washy books written for public consumption; Cardini does an excellent job at describing a bewilderingly complex series of interactions and conflicts that affect the world today.7 of 9 people found the following review helpful. needed footnotes and better bibliographyBy A CustomerFirst of all I enjoyed this book considerably.It was a "quick read" Though its style is not what I would classify as that designed for mass consumption (ie dumbed down); compared to many academically oriented history books the prose is light and can be absorbed quickly.Although this book is a survey/overview of historic interaction between Europe and Islam it is quite selective in what it actually addresses; thus; I think that it is best for an audience which already has a general (needen't be expert) understanding of the periods covered. Someone with less knowledge could certainly read it with enjoyment but might be somewhat lost unless he/she were to do a little additional research to provide the general backdrop. For example; page 3 states that "medieval authors were unanimous (although wrong) in their opinion that Europe was the main seat of Christianity; if not its only one." The author neglects to explain the factual background for this: the Middle East was still mostly Christian thoughout much if not most of the Middle Ages as conversion was not immediate upon conquest by the armies of Islam. Most people today probably do not know this and some would be perplexed by Cardini's assertion.The book addresses many of the arenas of conflict between Christendom and Islam. Initially he focuses on the conquest and reconquest of Spain. He then moves east.What I liked best and wherein I think lies the great value of the book is the author's constant use of specific lesser known events and facts to illustrate the complexity of the interrelations between the two worlds. It brings the history alive and demonstrates that MOST IMPORTANT lesson of history: motivations and actions are invariably complex; inconsistent (within a given group/time/place) and arise from many sources.Commencerate with this pleasure that I felt was frustration with the lack of reference materals to enable me to follow up on learning more about the various interesting details presented.