Pressestimmen
''The elusive simplicity and fluency of style manage to entertain and instruct at once. We learn as we read about Ibn Khaldun: his insights into history and historiography, his views of the rise and fall of civilizations, the principles of his sociological thinking, along with intimate aspects of his life, including his tragic losses and his attitude toward women. We also learn of his response to the major crisis of his time, the Tatar invasion of the Mashriq. In short, Ibn Khaldun, the distant and formidable figure, is humanized -- thanks to this novel.'' -- Naguib Mahfouz Medal Award Committee
Kurzbeschreibung
This award-winning historical novel deals with the stormy life of the outstanding Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldun, using historical sources and material from the writer's works to construct the personal and intellectual universe of a fourteenth-century genius. The dominant concern of the novel--the uneasy relationship between intellectuals and political power, between scholars and authority--addresses our times through the transparent veil of history.
Synopsis
This historical novel deals with the stormy life of the 14th-century Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldun, using historical sources. The dominant concern of the novel, the uneasy relationship between intellectuals and political power, addresses our times through the veil of history.
