Book Reviews

Stephen J. Shoemaker’s Creating the Qur’an: A Historical-Critical Study is, in brief, an argument for placing the “closure” of the Qur’an, its development into the definitive form we know today, in 8th century Iraq and Syria, as opposed to...

Despite Tatum's best efforts, it is hard to call this book a proper biography of Mark Antony. As the subtitle suggests, Tatum attempts to chronicle Mark Antony’s life, the multiple civil wars throughout it, and the broader narrative of the...

In a globalized world, the convergence of different nationalities and cultures often transforms societal notions of a shared identity. This sometimes results in debates regarding history, heritage, and cultural belonging, which make their...

Historical works on settler colonialism and genocide are voluminous, but there are relatively few, if any, works of synthesis geared to advanced high school and undergraduate students. Happily, the author Mohamed Adhikari, Professor of History...

As Assistant Professor of History at Utrecht University, Ozan Ozavci focuses on the twilight of the Ottoman Empire, a period when its European rivals intervened, economically and militarily, in Ottoman affairs. As a professor of Transimperial...

John Spurling has crafted a lyrical retelling of some well-known Greek myths, weaving these seemingly disparate stories together with subtle themes. The most prominent common factor throughout this collection is that each retelling features...

Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a novel retelling numerous popular tales from Greek mythology, including Paris of Troy stealing away Helen of Sparta, the Trojan War in response to this disrespect to Menelaus, and the aftermath of Agamemnon's...

Primarily aimed towards scholars who have an interest in the economies of the Mediterranean region during the Middle Ages, Chris Wickham’s newest publication, The Donkey and the Boat: Reinterpreting the Mediterranean Economy, 950-1180, is...

According to Dalrymple, corporate greed drove EIC’s ambitions in India. With little accountability, company officials such as Robert Clive accumulated enormous wealth through graft, extortion, plunder, and other means. Meanwhile, EIC's ill-fated...