Description: A portrait of the Samarran Turk community while in the employ of the 'Abbasid caliphate during the ninth century.
Brief description: Matthew S. Gordon is Assistant Professor of History at Miami University, Ohio.
Review Quotes:
"This book fills a crucial gap in the study of the early Islamic caliphate. Gordon weaves together the first complete political history of the Samarra caliphate, and as such places the subject within the mainstream of academic study and within reach of the general reader. Although focused on Samarra, the book has broader implications, especially in the way it addresses questions that relate to military-slave systems and their effect on state institutions. Gordon's treatment will occupy a special place in the debate over the origins of this institution, and will engage scholars ranging from Islamic historians working on the later medieval period to specialists on Turkish history in general." -- Tayeb El-Hibri, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
"Gordon for the first time tries to understand the internal society of the Turks and how they fitted into the society around them. The book is full of information and insights." -- Michael L. Bates, Curator of Islamic Coins, American Numismatic Society