Publisher's Synopsis
This 3-volume reference work brings together over 400 extracts from the major writings left by Christians and Muslims that reflect their reciprocal knowledge and the attitudes that gradually developed. Each volume is divided into the following sections: Volume 1 (600 - 1500): Muslim Arabic works; Christian Arabic works; Iberian Arabic works; Greek works; works in Syriac, Armenian and other languages; works in Latin and Romance languages. Volume 2 (1500 - 1700): Works from the Middle East and North Africa, Southern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Volume 3 (1700 - 1914): Works from the Middle East and North Africa, Southern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Asia and Oceania, Africa, and the Americas. Each volume contains a general introduction and also introductions to each section. The extracts, many of which have been translated into English for the first time, are accompanied by biographical introductions, suggestions for further reading and explanatory notes. Texts and topics range from theological and legal treatises, scientific studies, travelogues, captivity narratives, martyrologies, poems, plays, and novels. The breadth and diversity in genres and languages presented makes this the most comprehensive resource in the field.