
Baghdad
City of Peace, City of Blood--A History in Thirteen Centuries
Justin Marozzi(Author)
Da Capo Press Inc
Published on 4. November 2014
Book
Hardback
536 pages
978-0-306-82398-5 (ISBN)
Description
For much of its extraordinary life, Baghdad, known for centuries as the "City of Peace," enjoyed both cultural and commercial preeminence. For five centuries it was the seat of the Abbasid Empire, a marvel of glittering palaces, exquisite parks, magnificent mosques, and Islamic colleges. It was a city boasting the most accomplished astronomers, mathematicians, doctors, musicians, and poets-it was here, in the time of the caliphs, that the great Arabic classic One Thousand and One Nights was set. With its teeming markets watered by the Tigris, Baghdad was a thriving trading emporium, attracting merchants from Central Asia to the Atlantic; its economy was the envy of West and East alike. Yet Baghdad's inhabitants have also seen many terrible hardships, from epidemics and famines to invasions and devastating floods. And it has also been one of the most violent cities on earth. When U.S. troops entered in 2003, they became the latest participants in a turbulent history stretching back to the city's founding in 762.
Over most of its thirteen-century history, Baghdad has endured the rule of brutal strongmen, from capricious caliphs to Saddam Hussein; and it has suffered violent occupations at the hands of its conquerors, from the Mongol Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, to Tamerlane, known as the "Sword Arm of Israel." Here, in this vivid new history-the first published in English in nearly a century-Justin Marozzi brings to life the whole splendorous and tumultuous story of what was once the greatest capital on earth.
Over most of its thirteen-century history, Baghdad has endured the rule of brutal strongmen, from capricious caliphs to Saddam Hussein; and it has suffered violent occupations at the hands of its conquerors, from the Mongol Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, to Tamerlane, known as the "Sword Arm of Israel." Here, in this vivid new history-the first published in English in nearly a century-Justin Marozzi brings to life the whole splendorous and tumultuous story of what was once the greatest capital on earth.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for the UK edition of Baghdad "An epic history"--The Economist "[An] epic biography of the city... Marozzi feasts his reader in every sumptuous detail."--The Times "Vivid and compelling...the best account we have in English"--Hugh Kennedy, Literary Review "A tremendous narrative history... A great achievement: brave, densely researched, authoritative, vivid"--Sunday Times "Marozzi gets to the unchanging sould of his city."--The Guardian "Brilliant, evocative, and erudite...a work of love and an homage to the city"--The Spectator "Superb history...a gripping account"--Daily Telegraph "Adventurous, sophisticated, respectful...a truly splendid work of erudition, storytelling, and huamnity"--Standpoint Kirkus Reviews, 10/15/14 "Pertinent, patient study of the tumultuous history of this strategic city since its founding ...a useful, relevant history of a 'relentlessly tempestuous' city." Booklist, 11/15/14, starred review "Marozzi pays tribute to the endurance and vibrancy of the city and its citizens...in this fine combination of history and travel genres"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Hachette Books
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Paper over boards
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 50 mm
Weight
783 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-306-82398-5 (9780306823985)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Justin Marozzi is an author and journalist who has been praised as "the most brilliant of the new generation of travel writer-historians" (Sunday Telegraph). He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and the Muslim world and has worked in conflict and post-conflict Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, and Darfur. He is the author of four previous books, including Tamerlane and The Way of Herodotus, and he is a regular contributor to a wide range of national and international publications, including the Financial Times, Spectator, Times, Sunday Telegraph, and Guardian, where he writes on international affairs and the Muslim world. In 2011 he was elected as a Councilor of the Royal Geographical Society and appointed a Senior Research Fellow in Journalism and the Popular Understanding of History at Buckingham University's Humanities Research Institute.