1. Armstrong, Karen.
A History of God.
Random House Publishing, New York NY. 1993
Karen Armstrong's
A History of God
is a popular history of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It discusses in accessible detail the theological and political history of these three major religions. It is particularly useful for comparative discussion of these religions and concise history of each religion. For my purposes it was useful to clarify some specific facts regarding Islam.
2. Broadhurst, Roland trans.
The Travels of Ibn Jubayr.
Goodword Books, New Delhi, India. 1952
Roland Broadhurst's translation of
The Travels of Ibn Jubayr
is an excellent translation of a valuable source for discussion of the Islamic world. Ibn Jubayr traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean world in the 12th century, and wrote a great deal about his travels. For my purposes, Ibn Jubayr allows me to teach the Islamic World in a novel, thought-provoking and relevant way.
3. Duiker, William J. and Spielvogel, Jackson J.
World History
3rd Ed.
Wadsworth Thompson Learning. Stamford, CT. 2001.
World History 3rd Ed.
Is a high-level high-school history text-book, written for AP World History. It is extremely comprehensive and contains a number of useful and accessible graphics, which make it a good resource for this unit. I used it for double checking a number of facts throughout the course of this unit.
4. Shaw, M.R.B. Trans.
Joinville and Villehardouin: Cronicles of the Crusades.
Pengwuin Classics. New York, NY. 1963.
Shaw's translations of Joinville and Villehardouin allow the reader to access these useful primary sources. These accounts of the 4th crusade deal with a number of specific descriptions of the crusader states. These descriptions are not only valuable in their own right, but they make it possible in this context to compare Christian and Muslim views of the same crusader state.
5. National Geographic. "Inside Mecca" Video 2003.
"Inside Mecca" is a documentary view of the modern Hajj which takes on multiple perspectives in its telling of the story. This is a uniquely in-depth view of the Hajj with striking footage of Mecca, which would ordinarily be inaccessible to outsiders. "Inside Mecca" can be purchased at Pbs.com.
6. PBS Home Video "Islam: Empire of Faith" Video 2001
"Islam: Empire of Faith" is a documentary of the entire early history of the Islamic world. It describes in detail the early days of Islam, including a brief biography of Muhammad as well as a description of the challenges that faced this fledgling religion. It then proceeds to describe the politics of the Islamic expansion and world in rosy, if comprehensive, terms. "Islam: Empire of Faith" can be purchased at Pbs.com.
