"The sira of the Mahdi, the hagiographic work that Dr. Shaked presents here, is important; first, in that it reflects the self-image of the Mahdi and his followers and throws light on the popular Sudanese Islam of the time and the eschatological expectations that represented a reaction to Turco-Egyptian rule. Second, although the intention of the sira is religious and didactic, it is a unique source for the biography of the Mahdi and the history of the movement that he started. This version, which Dr. Shaked has prepared with meticulous care, and to which he has provided a full and scholarly introduction, is therefore a significant contribution to the understanding of the Sudanese Mahdia in its dual aspect as a political revolt and as a millenarian movement in Islam. Readers concerned with the history of the Sudan and with the study of Islam will find profit and interest in this book." - P. M. Holt, School of Oriental and African Studies, London"