-For general readers, Lindsay describes the Islamic world from the perspective of people who were part of it when it represented much of the best of what human civilization had to offer regarding political order, military prowess, economic vitality, civil society, and intellectual and scientific inquiry. His end date is 1300, when the Islamic world became very different after the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258 and the end of the Crusades in the 1290s. —Reference & Research Book News/Art Book News Annual

-James E. Lindsay's Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World will reach into many a high school holding as it covers Islam's expansion across Europe and the daily lives of those who lived in medieval times under Islamic rule. From major issues in Islamic history from politics to religion to Muslim interactions with other peoples, Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World is an important history indeed. —Midwest Book Review

-This book is a straightforward, easy-to-read account of everything you ever wanted to know about medieval Islamic history. Informative but written in a relaxed tone, this text illustrates all aspects of this subject, including the life of Muhammad, the Islamic conquests, the rise and fall of different dynasties throughout the Middle East, warfare, religious practices, interactions with Jews and Christians, and cultural aspects such as clothing and names. A full discussion about sources, both their strengths and weaknesses, opens this book, which is important to understand as a history student. Dealing with primary sources is the most important, and often most difficult, task for an historian, so this section is a great introduction to historiography that can be applied to any area of history....Complete with pictures and maps, this book is thoroughly educational and entertaining as well, therefore its an indispensable source for medieval Islamic history. —HistoryHotline.com