Selected Reviews

On this page you will find a selection of quotes from recent reviews of some of Brill's titles. Brill works hard to promote an author's publication, sending out books and journals to a wide array of publications for review. Reviews are normally placed on a products title page.

The reviews are listed by subject. Please click on the following headers.

Please click on the following headers for information about

• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• Biblical Studies and Religious Studies
• Biology
• Brill Online
• Classical Studies
• History
• Law
• Middle East and Islamic Studies

African Studies

The Practical Imperialist - Letters from a Danish Planter in German East Africa 1888-1906 - Edited by Jane L. Parpart and Marianne Rostgaard (ISBN: 978 90 04 14742 3)

"....this volume is an especially useful text because it provides rich primary sources that scholars can read and evaluate for themselves." - Michelle Moyd (H-German)

Asian Studies

Imperial Warlord - Rafe Crespigny - (ISBN 9789004185227)

"This impressive volume is the culmination of a lifetime's work on Cao Cao, the Later Han chancellor, Three Kingdoms warlord, and, posthumously, Wei emperor. De Crespigny's study is the definitive work on this critical figure in any language. The image of Cao Cao and several of his defeated opponents has been shaped in the popular mind by subsequent fictionalizations, most recently in a major film, that are now core mythologies in Chinese culture. De Crespigny (Australian National Univ.) deals sensitively with the complex historical and literary issues involved in explaining Cao Cao, working through a thicket of frequently hostile sources with erudition and fairness. In addition to providing a painstaking narrative of the political and military events of Cao Cao's life, the author also devotes considerable attention to explaining the historiographical and literary issues involved in studying Cao Cao, summing up with the aptly titled section "Why Cao Cao?" The only regret one has in reading this book is that there isn't more scholarship like it available. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above."

-- P. Lorge, Vanderbilt University, CHOICE June 2011

The English-language Press Networks of East Asia, 1918-1945 - by Peter O’Connor (ISBN: 978-19-05-24667-0)

"... O'Connor captures the superheated atmosphere of the times in this immensely detailed work, one that is likely to become the definitive study of the period's press networks. Like other standard works (one thinks of Peter Ackroyd's magisterial, "London: The Biography"), it sets the bar very high for those who follow." Stephen Mansfield, The Japan Times ONLINE, (20 March, 2011)

The Encyclopedia of Indonesia in the Pacific War: In Cooperation with the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation - Edited by Peter Post (General Editor), William H. Frederick, Iris Heidebrink and Shigeru Sato. Co-edited by William Bradley Horton and Didi Kwartanada.

Choice’s Outstanding Academic Title 2010

“… this volume covers such an incredible range of material that readers actually can develop an almost encyclopedic understanding of the Japanese occupation period… Since the Japanese period has not been much explored in English-language scholarship on Indonesia, this book is a significant contribution for academic audiences and for others interested in learning more about life on the ground in wartime in a colonial world. This work will be very important for library collections and of immediate use to any university that offers courses in Southeast Asian history and/or social or cultural histories of WW II.” - S. Maxim, University of California, Berkeley (Reviewed in 2010 June CHOICE)
 

Ou, Chaoquan. Life in a Kam Village in southwest China, 1930-1949 tr. by D. Norman Geary. ISBN 9789004162297

Ou is a veteran ethnologist and a member of the Kam people of Guizhou province, whom he writes about in this book. Most of the text describes life as it was in the author's childhood in the 1930s and 1940s, a time of hardship and conflict in China. As a vulnerable minority, the Kam had more than their share of problems. However, they survived, and enjoyed life in spite of poverty and isolation. The Kam (also called, or considered, a branch of the Dong) speak a language distantly related to Thai (in spite of inaccurate information on several Web sites that their language is Sino-Tibetan).

This is by far the longest of the very few accounts of them available in English. It is particularly good on daily life--food, clothing, marriage, family. Superbly detailed photographs greatly enhance the thorough text. As an insider, Ou can provide data on the darker side of life: irregular marriages, rapes, minor thefts, military actions, ethnic rivalry. This provides a valuable counterpoint to the more theory-drenched but too aseptic accounts of Chinese minorities by outsider ethnologists. Summing Up: Recommended. Specialists and general readers interested in south China's minorities. -- E. N. Anderson, emeritus, University of California, Riverside (This review appeared in the August 2008 issue of CHOICE)

Transcending Boundaries: Zhejiangcun: The Story of a Migrant Village in Beijing - Xiang Biao. (ISBN: 978 90 04 14201 0)

"This wonderful ethnography … traces the fascinating history of Zhejiangcun’s survival and rise to prominence against all odds. This lively tale sheds much light on the tensions between state and society and the sources of economic dynamism in China today. An especially rich ethnography, which could only have been produced by someone who has spent many years on the scene." - Susan Greenhalgh University of California, Irvine (Population and Development Review 2008. 34(1): 182)

"The Chinese version of the book has become one of the best acclaimed recent anthropological publications in China. Apart from being an excellent exemplar of ethnographic study of migrant communities and state-society relations, the theoretical insights of the book also make it extremely valuable for scholars in the fields of anthropology, sociology, politics and Asian studies." - Na Liu University of Manchester, (Asian Journal of Social Science. 2008. 36(1): 142-143)

"A truly significant contribution to the field of Chinese migration studies. When 'Transcending Boundaries' is compared with existing works on overseas Chinese migration, readers will face some unavoidable and creative questions concerning the issue of migration generally, and the conflicts that surround it." - Wasana Wongsurawat (National University of Singapore,Population, Space and Place. 2008. 14:161–162)

Biblical Studies and Religious Studies

The Dead Sea Scrolls - A full history - Weston Fields

Download a full review of this title by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor.

Religion Past and Present - Edited by Hans Dieter Betz, Don S. Browning, Bernd Janowski and Eberhard Jüngel

"One cannot fail to be impressed.......Using it as a reference source and 'testing' its qualities, the depth of scholarship, the frame of reference for assumptive knowledge, the clarity of discussion (it does not read like a translation), and the continual surprises at its adventurous coverage keep one going back and back time and time again....libraries will want to get the English version simply because it more successfully than ever opens up the rich resources here to a global readership for whom English is a 'lingua franca'." -
Stuart Hannabuss, Philosophy and Religion , 2007

Encyclopedia of Religious and Philosophical Writings in Late Antiquity

"...a worthwile addition to a the reference collection of research libraries, and a useful complement to other encyclopedias of late antiquity. Recommended. Upper level undergraduates through faculty/resarchers; general readers." - J. Schott, Choice, July 2008

Biology

Entomopathogenic Nematodes: Systematics, Phylogeny and Bacterial Symbionts - K. Nguyen and D.J. Hunt (978 90 04 15293 9)

"This book is a must-have for all those who want to describe new species of either "Steinernema" or "Heterorhabditis". ...the book provides monumental information to help identify these entomopathogenic nematodes and use them as bio-control agents" - M. Rafiq Siddiqi, International Journal of Nematology (December 2007, vol 17 no. 2)

The fleas (Siphonaptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark - Gunvor Brinck-Lindroth and F.G.A.M. Smit (ISBN: 978 90 04 15151 2)

"...another very fine and beautifully produced volume. I am sure that this book will be enormously useful for flea workers .... Frans Smit's illustrations are stunning." - Adrian Pont (Peer Review)

Parasitic Flowering Plants - Henning S. Heide-Jørgensen (ISBN: 978 90 04 16750 6)

"(this book)...provides a harmonious account of fascinating information on a general ecological and evolutionary backdrop, and is profusely illustrated with excellent photographs. Dr. Heide-Jørgensen has done an outstanding job in providing a balanced presentation that will be a gem on anyone's bookshelf, whether a professional or an interested naturalist. At long last, the parasitic plants of the world have received the treatment they so richly deserve."
-Job Kuijt, University of Victoria, Canada.

Brill Online

An extensive review of Brill Online's products and services was found in February's edition of Choice magazine.

Researchers and students of the classics, religion, and history are undoubtedly familiar with imprints from Brill, which include standard reference works such as Der Neue Pauly (Brill's New Pauly, CH, Feb'07, 44-3007; CH, Jul'03, 40-6125); Die Fragmente der Griechischen Historiker and Brill's New Jacoby, now available as Jacoby Online; and more recent titles such as Encyclopedia of Islam 3 (EI3, 2007; CH, Feb'04, 41-3177) and Index Islamicus (CH, Feb'04, 41-3136; CH, Jan'03, 40-2505). Currently, the full text of these works is available on Brill Online, along with Africa Yearbook (CH, Sep'06, 44-0040), The Brill Dictionary of Religion (CH, Jul'06, 43-6230), The Encyclopaedia of Judaism (2nd ed., CH, May'06, 43-4998), Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an (CH, Jan'02, 30-2512), and Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures (CH, Jun'04, 41-5662; CH, Jul'05, 42-6250).

In addition, Brill provides access to World Christian Database (CH, May'05, 42-4976), which provides "extensive religious and secular statistics ... on 9,000 Christian denominations, 238 countries and 13,000 ethnolinguistic peoples, as well as on 5,000 cities and 3,000 provinces." WCD is produced by The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, which provides Christian mission-related research. Rather than offering a package of titles, Brill offers unlimited site licenses for its individual titles and the WCD database.

Brill Online's search interface is intuitive and similar to that of other online reference products. Users may browse, search within an individual title, or search across all titles (with the exception of WCD because of the statistical nature of its content). Advanced search allows searching across user-selected groups of titles, with the option of phrase searches, fuzzy searches (pattern matches), proximity searches, and the use of Boolean operators. Search results are clustered by relevance and by title.

Within each article, cross-referenced terms are highlighted for easy navigation, and users may click back and forth between the German and English versions for New Pauly and New Jacoby. WCD provides a number of statistical tables for preselected queries that are sortable and exportable. Researchers more comfortable with using statistical data may create their own customized queries.

In short, Brill Online provides access to unique content, including its own imprints and the World Christian Database. Scholars who appreciate this content will undoubtedly appreciate the greater accessibility that the Brill Online interface provides. The platform provides this accessibility without distracting from the unique content. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. -- R. Watts, Medical University of South Carolina

Classical Studies

Housing in late antiquity: from palaces to shops, ed. by Luke Lavan, Lale Özgenel, and Alexander Sarantis with Simon Ellis and Yuri Marano. ISBN 9789004162280

Few historical fields have grown as rapidly in recent years as late antiquity, which now claims an important place in both classical and medieval studies. Much of this success comes from openness to new historical methods, particularly those that consider written sources along with material evidence. This latest addition to the "Late Antique Archaeology" series focuses fresh attention on the physical setting of domestic life. Two extended bibliographic essays introduce the subject by surveying recent research carried out across the late Roman Empire. The authors pursue key architectural, economic, legal, and social issues in 16 loosely related conference papers. Rural villas and urban mansions preserve the clearest picture of late Roman houses, which varied greatly from Britain to the Near East, yet expressed similar values by displaying wealth and affirming social status. More modest dwellings, shops, and tabernae reflect the importance of production and commerce in the daily routine of many  households, in town and village alike. Widely ranging in approach and scope, the case studies and comparative essays gathered in this volume provide a welcome introduction to domestic life in late antiquity. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

Upper-division undergraduates and above. -- M. L. Rautman, University of Missouri--Columbia (The following review appeared in the August 2008 issue of CHOICE)

History

Cartography in Antiquity and the Middle Ages - Edited by Richard J.A. Talbert and Richard W. Unger (ISBN: 978 90 04 16663 9)

This volume derives from a meeting of classical and medieval historians held at the University of British Columbia, which provided the opportunity to bring scholars of the classical period together with scholars of the medieval, adopting the map as lingua franca, to reflect on the seminal collection The History of Cartography, Vol. 1 (CH, Oct' 87), edited by Brian Harley and David Woodward. This current collection seeks to diminish the divide between those with classical specializations and those with medieval learning. Linkages were sought between the two worlds--new meanings read into the cartographic accomplishments, new sources discerned from the map data. The essays are delightful in their diversity and individuality. An introduction, 13 essays, dozens of illustrations, and colored plates combine to produce a "vade mecum" for the periods under review.  Summing Up: Highly recommended.

G. J. Martin, Emeritus, Southern Connecticut State University

Diplomatics in the Eastern Mediterranean 1000-1500 - (ISBN: 978 90 04 165 47 2)

"...Dieser vorbildlich redigierte und äußerst anregende Band geht auf ein Kolloquium zurück, das das Department of History and Archeology der Universität Zypern im April 2006 veranstaltet hat... muss man den Herausgebern und den Verfassern der einzelnen Artikel danken für diesen vielseitigen und informativen Band, der ein wichtiger Beitrag zur mittelalterlichen Geschichte und Kulturgeschichte des östlichen Mittelmeerraums ist..."

Sehepunkte, May 2009, V. von Falkenhausen

Framing Iberia Maqāmāt and Frametale Narratives in Medieval Spain

“…In this book David Wacks has written one of the most complete studies of medieval framed narrative in" Iberia to date. Wacks brings to bear his expertise in Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, Catalan, and Castilian to demonstrate that the frame tale and maqāma form an essentially Iberian genre produced over a period of four centuries in a cultural polysystem that synthesized literary practices from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Furthermore, Wacks contends that the origins of the European frame tale can be traced to the Iberian Peninsula, and he contextualizes his chapters within a larger European literary history. Framing Iberia will be an important and reliable reference for scholars working on the short story and frame tale in general, beyond the boundaries of medieval Iberia… As a book that has that worldview at the center of its thesis, Framing Iberia is both a comprehensive study of the frame tale and a sensitive cultural history of Spain…”

Speculum 83.4 (2008): pp. 1052-53 - Jonathan Burgoyne

Interpretations of Renaissance Humanism - Angelo Mazzocco (ISBN:978 90 04 15244 1)

"Thirteen distinguished senior scholars contribute an essay each to this exploratory volume on Renaissance humanism – mainly in Italy, but with attention to England, Germany, and France – from the 13th to the 16th century. These are neither experts for whom humanism has become a dirty word, nor followers of a party line of pietistic reverence. The essays vary in length, approach, and implication as they explore the nature, origins, and influence of the movement later ages would label humanism. One salutary common theme is the development of what Paul Grendler, writing on education, here calls "a culture of criticism." At the origins of humanism Robert Black identifies, in 13th-century Italy, "a return to classical authors ... connected with antipathy to contemporary aristocratic society dominated by ... hierarchical values." Alison Brown's excellent final piece shows how around 1500 the university lecturer Marcello Adriani employed texts by the dangerously impious Roman poet Lucretius to attack superstitious practice in contemporary Italy. The book both asserts in argument and demonstrates in practice the vigor of cultural critique as developed in the Renaissance." - CHOICE magazine.

Summing Up : Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty - E. D. Hill, Mount Holyoke College.

Marble Past, Monumental Present: Building with Antiquities in the Mediaeval Mediterranean  - Michael Greenhalgh, (ISBN 978-90-04-17083-4)

This book offers a view of extraordinary scope, both in terms of space and time, about the use and re-use of marble. The area is the Mediterranean between the 7th and the 15th-16th centuries, and this study considers not only the two parts which were heirs to the Roman Empire and to classical civilisation, but also the various cultures of Islam down to the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire... The imposing volume is still further enriched by a DVD at the back with more than 5,000 images and several discussions extending various topics of the printed book.... Some minor defects concerning very limited details are probably unavoidable in so vast a subject... I mention these details only reluctantly for the sake of completeness, but they cannot diminish the importance of this great synthesis, which will remain for many years a standard reference work, and will be very difficult to replace in the future.

Paolo Liverani, Università degli studi di Firenze, The Medieval Review 09.09.11,

Models of Charitable Care: Catholic Nuns and Children in Their Care in Amsterdam, 1852–2002 - Annelies van Heijst  (ISBN: 978 9004 16833 6)

This book on charitable care is an important contribution to the ongoing debate about the experiences of children taken into care by Catholic nuns and priests in the past. First and foremost, however, Models of Charitable Care is a historical study of charitable works by Dutch nuns. Van Heijst uses an autobiographical account by another former pupil of the Amsterdam home.

These memories, however, were written down many years later, by Sister Hyppolyta, who looked back on her experiences as a girl taken into the “mercy of care” by nuns of a congregation that later became her own. Central to Van Heijst’s examination are the rules and regulations governing their work given to the nuns by their male clerical superiors. The nuns were held to treat children with a warm and loving attitude, instead of handling them in a harsh and punitive spirit. An important argument for a more positive evaluation of this care is, according to Van Heijst, that the required mode of care was based on self-sanctification. This religious practice of “self-care, by taking care of others” (p. 257; emphasis in original) created “solidarity between strangers” (p. 221; emphasis in original) and “religious reciprocity” (p. 261; emphasis in original).

Theoretically, this line of arguments leads Van Heijst to the construction of a new model of charitable care, based on an “ethic of charitable care.” Earlier models to explain this type of care were constructed by historians who showed skepticism about the intentions of the human beings involved. The first model only focused on a “one-way-interaction” (topdown from caregiver to care receiver), while the second model also included the agency of both caregivers and care receivers. The third model, as proposed by the author, added a third term to the care relationship, that of God and his “generous love” and consequently that of so-called “religious kinship.”

From my historical, although not religious, point of view, this third term is problematic. From my perspective, religion is part of the structure that shapes knowledge and cultural meaning in human relations based on caring power. Religion never is an isolated element on its own. Thus—as Van Heijst, for that matter, has formulated herself on page 376—it is the concept of “power” that needs reconsideration. Nevertheless, it is precisely this type of provoking insight that makes Models of Charitable Care an important book. It is a must-read for every researcher in the historiography of care work by nuns and for those interested in the debates on what actually took place in the history of various religious-inspired forms of care.

Annemieke Van Drenth, University of Leiden, Catholic Historical Review, October 2009

Monstrous Fishes and the Mead-Dark Sea - Vicki Ellen Szabo (ISBN: 978 90 04 16398)

“...Szabo, now Professor of Ancient and Medieval History at Western Carolina University, is fascinated by whales. In studies of medieval economics or food production, whales are rarely mentioned. Art and utensils made from whale bone are supposed to come from stranded whales, if the source is even considered. Szabo changes all this. In her wonderful monomania, she has researched the early perceptions of whales in Europe, the methods used in hunting them, the many uses made of them and how they improved the economy of the communities in which whalers lived or sold the catch.... Szabo's enthusiasm is infectious; the book is fascinating, shedding light on a little-known aspect of medieval culture...”

 Annotation, Reference & Research Book News Article date: May 1, 2008

“.... Monstrous Fishes is simply an incredible work. There is no other book that is even remotely like this, and it is likely to remain the definitive work on medieval whaling for a very long time.... Monstrous Fishes brings together an exceptional array of documentary, iconographic and archaeological sources not only for medieval whaling but indeed for medieval North Atlantic seafaring, society, economy and ecology. Indeed, the book’s title is frankly misleading; Monstrous Fishes may have whales at its heart but it ranges widely, and is as much as anything about the perception of the ocean through the evidence of the communities that played a part in this one particular industry... Monstrous Fishes is essentially an extended, detailed demonstration of the ‘value added’ of combining all the available data on the topic for this period, and the result is a book that is both readable for the generalist and ‘mineable’ for the specialist, an exposition as well as an encyclopaedia of medieval whaling...” 

Joe Flatman, Institute of Archaeology, University College London, The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (2009) 38.2: 438-439.

Witchcraft, Gender and Society in Early Modern Germany - Jonathan Durrant (ISBN: 978 90 04 16093 4)

"Durrant (Univ. of London) offers a sophisticated and refreshing challenge to several conceptions that currently prevail in studies of early modern witch hunting. Focusing on trial transcripts from the German prince-bishopric of Eichstätt during the period 1617-1631, the author makes particular use of confession narratives, finding little to support arguments that witch denunciations reflected local social tensions, gender conflicts, or fears about frightful old women. Nor does the evidence point to the role of agrarian crisis or other material disasters. The words and actions of the accused suggest that these people enjoyed good relationships within their communities; this was not a society riven by tensions or racked by fears of a diabolical sect. True, more women than men were charged, but this was because judicial procedures, especially torture, exaggerated normal social and gender divides. The overall picture of early modern society that emerges here is thus more positive than that conveyed by most scholarship on witchcraft. The hunts were mainly a function of the prince-bishop's program to extirpate heresy, which mirrored the tactics of other Catholic rulers in the Empire. This complex work will prove stimulating and rewarding for scholars with a good background in early modern studies." - CHOICE magazine.

Summing Up : Recommended. Graduate students and faculty. - R. B. Barnes,Davidson College.

Strangers and Misfits - Jason P. Coy (ISBN: 978 90 04 161 174 0)

"Strangers and Misfits is a significant study of social discipline, legal policy and practice, and civic life in early modern Germany. Coy's volume not only draws on a substantial archival collection, but also delves therein to present the color and texture of individual cases along with analysis of shifting patterns revealed by the sources as a whole. He shows convincingly that legislation and ordinances ratified initially in the later Middle Ages were enforced with significantly greater vigor through the penalty of banishment in the later sixteenth century. Of particular value is Coy's attention to denunciations and public rituals, which illustrate and confirm his contention that many citizens backed reform mandates and collaborated with the state in regulating urban society. In addition, six sketches of punishment drawn from the margins of archival documents are reproduced in the book, thus giving a gritty profile of public interrogation, shaming, and expulsion."

"...Coy is to be commended for a volume that is concise and focused, carefully reasoned and rich with examples. Indeed, this volume should encourage wider study of banishment across early modern Europe and spur further research on this crucial, common, and often overlooked feature of urban life."

Renaissance Quarterly,  Fall 2009 edition (volume 62, number 3), J. Jeffrey Tyler, Hope College

The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatial Policies, Modernity and War- Joost Jongerden (ISBN: 978 90 04 15557 2)

“ This is a valuable book filled with new field-based research on Turkey’s attempts to resettle Kurds who have been evacuated as a result of Turkey’s war against the Kurdish nationalist militant organization from 1984 to 1999.” - CHOICE: October 2007

The persecution of the Jews and Muslims of Portugal: King Manuel I and the end of religious tolerance (1496-7) Soyer, François. ISBN 9789004162624

Soyer (Univ. of Evora) addresses a historical tragedy: the forced conversion of Portuguese Jewry and the expulsion of resident Muslims by King Manuel at the end of the 15th century. The author seeks also to alter prior historical preconceptions regarding the nature of what happened. Earlier historians have assumed that this royal policy emerged from the disruptions caused by the onrush of Jews exiled from neighboring Spain in 1492, as well as Manuel's attempt to appease Fernando and Isabel in ultimate hopes of one day ruling the entire Iberian Peninsula through his marriage to their daughter Isabel. Soyer establishes that no evidence supports these surmises; rather, Manuel's Machiavellian ambitions for the trade opening with India and his desire to assert greater control over Morocco with papal support were the real sources of the king's policies. The author also notes that the results of Manuel's policies were exactly the opposite of his neighbors' program, in that it was Muslims who were expelled from Spain and Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity. The scholarship is deep and persuasive, with full notes and settlement maps. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. -- J. F. Powers, emeritus, College of the Holy Cross (This review appeared in the August 2008 issue of CHOICE)

Law

Lis Pendens in International Litigation - Campbell McLachlan

“[T]he breadth of research in which Professor McLachlan has engaged across three separate legal disciplines … [and] the author’s practical experience at the ‘sharp end’ of litigation covering these disciplines pervades the book….The book is recommended to academics and legislators working in the relevant fields.” – Adam Rushworth, Law Quarterly Review (January 2011)

“The virtue of this book is that it tackles the big problems head-on…. It also provides the simple pleasure of reading a crisp and illuminating account by a master of our trade of the state of the art in perhaps the most interesting legal topic of our time: the international scene.” – Baragwanath J [2009] NZLJ 365

Aviation Law: Cases, Laws and Related Sources - Paul B. Larsen, Joseph Sweeney, and John Gillick (ISBN: 9781571053404)

“….Larsen, Sweeney and Gillick have written a highly readable and well-organized treatise. It reflects materials refined over years of teaching from it. The book addresses Air Law comprehensively and well. It is an essential desk reference for any American lawyer.” - Paul Stephen Dempsey in: Annals of Air and Space Law: Vol. XXXIII (2008)

“In Aviation Law, the authors, three experts in transportation law, provide the aviation law bar with a tool to make life a little easier and more pleasant. . . . The reader, whether a first-year law student or salty senior partner, receives a good dose of not only black-letter law but also a listing of primary source materials and key case reviews and citations. I have more than 35 years of aviation law experience and yet have already consulted the copy of Aviation Law in the Department of Transportation’s law library several times to refresh my memory about the nuances of aviation law. You’ll learn something from the book even if you think you know it all. . . . Aviation Law is a handy, up-to-date desk reference—a must read!” - Bernard F. Diedrich in Journal of Air Law and Commerce, Volume 72, Number 3 (Summer 2007)

Middle East and Islamic Studies

Pure Gold from the Words of Sayyidī ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Dabbāgh - Aḥmad b. al-Mubārak al-Lamaṭī A Translation with Notes and an Outline by John O'Kane and Bernd Radtke

"This translation will undoubtedly expand scholarly awareness of this little-read but influential book, which reflects a still understudied period in the development of Sufi thought and practice." - Valerie J. Hoffman (Islamic Africa, 2010)

Neo-Mu’tazillismus? Intention und Kontext im modernen arabischen Umgang mit dem rationalistischen Erbe des Islam - Thomas Hildebrandt (ISBN: 978 9004 150 997)

"The discontinuity of islamic philosophy has resulted in a strongly simplified vision on the islamic heritance by modern islamic thinkers. The study of Hildebrandt manages to give a convincing treatment of this problem". - Stephan Conermann (Sehepunkte 12: 2007)

Arab painting: text and image in illustrated Arabic manuscripts - Edited by Anna Contadini. (ISBN: 978 9004 157 224)

"This volume is a collection of 13 articles by various scholars, many of great distinction; they include Oleg Grabar and Robert Hillenbrand. The common focus is illustrations in Arabic-language manuscripts produced between the 9th and 14th centuries across a wide geographic range from Spain to Iraq. They include both scientific and literary manuscripts but exclude the Qur'an--the central text, but one whose sometimes splendid decoration is (with one exception) ornamental rather than illustrative.

Two important pieces on "theoretical" issues open the collection, one by editor Contadini on general issues and the other by Grabar on the problematic term "Arab painting." Other articles elucidate the complex, diverse interrelations between the illustrations and the texts with which they are associated, and two address the relationship of Arab to western European manuscript painting. The volume is very well illustrated, with black-and-white illustrations within the various articles and numerous color plates of good quality gathered at the end.

This excellent, important book should be in every scholarly library; any scholar or student interested in this material should consult it. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers".- L. Nees, University of Delaware (CHOICE June 2008)

Islam and Muslims in Germany, ed. by Ala Al-Hamarneh and Jörn Thielmann. ISBN 9789004158665

Coeditor Thielmann (Gutenberg Univ.) modestly claims that this volume is "not intended as a comprehensive compendium of Islam and Muslims in Germany," but it will serve in this role for years to come. Thielmann's thoughtful introduction to the volume's 22 other contributors cover major issues in a manner that make the volume accessible to general readers and scholars alike. Of Germany's 3 million Muslims, an estimated 2.2 million are Turkish in origin, and one-third of the Muslim population are German citizens. The authors collectively portray the diversity of the Muslim presence in Germany, both historically and in the present. Readable and authoritative chapters on prayer leaders, the legal status of Islamic contracts, the growing importance since the 1980s of identity politics, gender issues, South Asian Muslims, pop music, language and educational issues, Muslims as consumers, and how Muslims are portrayed in the German media make this book a must for anyone interested in the changing face of Islam in Germany today. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above. -- D.F. Eickelman, Dartmouth College (This review appeared in the August 2008 issue of CHOICE)