"Invaluable source of introductory primary source readings suitable for beginning students."--Judith Rood, Wayne State University"Offer[s] 167 translated sections from over 110 sources....All have been translated by Bernard Lewis, arguably the premier orientalist in the world today....A very useful set of books."--Teaching History"An excellent collection of sources in translation; 'must reading' for the beginner, as well as the specialist."--Avigdor Levy, Brandeis University"Supplies a vital part of world history long lacking in Western scholarship on this period."--Christian Science Monitor"A well-chosen, expertly translated selection of primary sources that reval nuances of the evolution of Islamic civilization that a secondary text cannot always convey."--Jane Hathaway, Ohio State University"Constitutes a very important collection of original texts...and [makes them] accessible in their English version to American students."--Andrew S. Ehrenkreutz, University of Michigan"A lively collection of primary sources."--William A. Graham, Harvard University