Review by Choice Review
The rule of the Mamluk sultans of Egypt extended from the 1250s to the 1520s, providing one of the most enduring, militarily effective, and, in some respects, stable regimes in the history of Islam. At times their rule extended beyond Egypt and Syria to include Nubia, Tripolitania, Cilicia, and the Hijaz. Under the Mamluk sultans Cairo acquired some of its finest public buildings. In Alexandria and the Red Sea ports the commerce of the Mediterranean met the spice trade of India and beyond, and these exchanges provided the sultans with ample revenues. Hitherto, there has been little available in English on the Mamluks, apart from specialist articles. Now, Irwin (St. Andrews University) has offered a superb overview of the early (and most dynamic) phase of Mamluk rule, when the new regime beat back the invading Mongols from beyond the Euphrates and expelled the remnants of the crusader principalities in the Levant. This fine study makes available to teachers what is presently most needed: a clear and vivid narrative of events, drawing attention to differing interpretations of ambiguous sources, firmly emphasizing the institutional framework, and written in a fluent, free-flowing style. This book is a must for university and college libraries.-G.R.G. Hambly, University of Texas at Dallas
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
