The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the Sixth to the Eleventh Century

Kennedy's book is the standard introductory history of the classical and medieval Islamic period in the Middle East and North Africa. This book is packed with information, which contrary to a previous reviewer, is a positive thing. The author's description of events and important personalities, which are all based on a careful reading of the primary sources and decades of research and teaching experience in the field, are second to none. An excellent buy and well worth the money for any serious student of Middle Eastern and Islamic history and societies.

Kennedy's work is a great introduction to the early history of the Middle East. I felt compelled to write this after I saw the other review, which complained of too many names being thrown around. It is a history book, and Arabic names are very different than English ones, so this is to be expected. It would be impossible and rather pointless to write a history book with no difficulty involved. Kennedy examines Arabia before Muhammad, Muhammad's life and preaching, the early Islamic conquests, and the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates up to the time of the Mongol invasions. This time period is well researched, and I cannot honestly say that Kennedy brings anything new to the table with his work. What he does, however, is concisely reconstruct the history in a readable and flowing prose. I was slightly disapppointed that he spent so little time discussing the Islamic conquests, but his overview of the Abbasid state is better than most I have read. Overall, this is a great introduction for students looking to study the early history of Islam and the Middle East. It does not have everything though, and should not be taken as the be-all end-all source. Other books along the same line as this which are worthwhile are F.E. Peter's Muhammad and the Origins of Islam, William Ochsenwald's The Middle East, and Wilfred Madelung's The Succession to Muhammad.