The Caliph's Splendor: Islam and the West in the Golden Age of Baghdad
"Bobrick has read widely in 19th- through 21st-century sources to create a rich portrait of a key era." (Library Journal)"A fresh overview of the turbulent state of the Middle East and Europe during the 8th century." (Kirkus Reviews)“What a great read! Benson Bobrick does full justice to the cultural currents that make the Baghdad ofThe Arabian Nightsso vital to world history. At the same time, he gives us healthy dollops of all the sex, intrigue, and other spicy shenanigans that most historians leave out. This scintillating book achieves a rare blend of storytelling gusto and intellectual depth, reminding us on every page that human history is just that—human." (Colin Wells, author of Sailing from Byzantium)