Anglo-Saxon Perceptions of the Islamic World

Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England #33

by Katharine Scarfe Beckett

Katherine Scarfe Beckett is concerned with representations of the Islamic world in Anglo-Saxon England. Using a variety of literary, historical and archaeological evidence, Beckett argues that the first perceptions of Arabs, Ismaelites and Saracens were derived from Christian exegesis. These perceptions preconditioned Western expressions of hostility and superiority towards peoples of the Islamic world, and these received ideas prevailed over actual experience.

Genres: History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 1999

Reviews

[A. John Alger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relies too heavily on orientalists.