One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 [T]his is serious history and, as such, seriously worthwhile.
Robert Irwin, Literary Review [Europe and the Islamic World] is an important contribution to an ever more urgent debate. By providing a wealth of inconvenient detail that fails to fit in to the simplistic stereotypes, it challenges the very notion that ... Read morehumanity can be divided into separate 'civilisations', however bitter at times the conflict between them.
Jonathan Harris, History Today The comprehensive coverage of the subject matter makes this work the new standard in the field.
Choice Europe and the Islamic World is a major antidote of this dangerous myopic worldview, offering a critical and balanced assessment of a historic encounter marked not only by religious competition and conflict but also by coexistence and cooperation in domestic politics and foreign relations, trade and commerce, science and culture.
Lisa Kaaki, Arab News As provocative as it is groundbreaking, this book describes this shared history in all its richness and diversity, revealing how ongoing encounters between Europe and Islam have profoundly shaped both.
World Book Industry This book is a solid scholarly work on the current and ongoing debate on the relations between Europe and the Islamic world. It differs from previous works on two major grounds: it offers a detailed narrative of key neglected aspects of this history and it refutes the notion of the 'clash of civilizations.'
Adel Manai, Canadian Journal of History Tolan clearly shows how to approach the history of Islam and Christianity during the medieval era in a much more sensitive manner, paying respect to here to fore often suppressed or muted voices on both sides.
Albrecht Classen, Mediaevistik The status of non-Muslims in Muslim lands is a major theme in the book and it is dealt with effectively by each author... [T]his book achieves its purpose well.
David Abulafia, English Historical Review [T]his book is an extremely detailed, learned and informative account of the history of the two regions.
Alex Mallett, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations [G]randly ambitious ... [R]eaders will come away from the book profoundly suspicious of simplistic narratives about Muslim aggression and endless jihad.
Philip Jenkin, The Christian Century Show Less