Ibn Battuta

"Because of the descriptive style of Battuta's writing, modern readers can better understand the significance and implications of Islamic economic dominance in the 14th Century, which inevitably produced cultural influences. Battuta's observations about the impact of trade and mercantile activities are especially incisive, for in land after land he traveled through, trade established relationships between Muslims and infidels which served as a unifying force and as a means of cultural assimilation.

"The analysis of shared Islamic culture that Battuta presented in his book was very methodical for his time and is still of great interest today, for it reveals the vast scope and influence of Muslim civilization in the 14th Century and bears comparison with the vast scope and influence of American culture in the modern world. The accomplished literary manner in which Battuta described how a shared Islamic culture was manifested in the countries he visited provides for fascinating reading and has made The Travels of Ibn Battuta a classic for more than seven centuries."

Ibn Battuta set off from Tangier in 1325, visiting Egypt, Mecca, Syria, Iraq, Anatolia, the Central Asian steppe, India, the Maldives and possibly China before returning home nearly twenty five years later. After additional trips to Spain and West Africa he settled down and his story was turned into a Rihla (travel narrative) by Ibn Juzayy.

The Adventures of Ibn Battuta follows Ibn Battuta's travels chronologically, but doesn't stay narrowly focused on the details of his career. It offers extensive background information and is an approachable introduction to the world of classical Islam as well as a lively and entertaining travel narrative.

Dunn uses direct quotations from and simple summaries of the Rihla, but he also works in information from other sources to produce an account that is comprehensible and satisfying to a modern reader. (References and discussions of details are relegated to...