About the Author

Matthew S. Gordon, Ph.D. (1993), Columbia University, is Professor of Middle East & Islamic History at Miami University. He has published monographs, textbooks, and numerous articles on medieval Islamic social and political history, including The Breaking of a Thousand Swords (SUNY Press, 2001).

Chase F. Robinson, Ph.D. (1992), Harvard University, is Distinguished Professor and President of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has written or edited some 8 books and 40 articles on Islamic history. His most recent book is Islamic Civilization in 30 Lives (Thames & Hudson, 2016).

Everett K. Rowson, Ph.D. (1982), Yale University, is Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at New York University. He has published widely in Islamic philosophy, history, and gender and sexuality studies, as well as classical Arabic literature.

Michael Fishbein, Ph.D. (1988), University of California at Los Angeles, is a retired Lecturer in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at that university, where he taught Arabic language and literature for many years. He is the translator of Volumes VIII, XXI, and XXXI of the SUNY History of al-Ṭabarī.