The History and Achievements of the Islamic Golden Age

By: Eamonn Gearon, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Eamonn Gearon

The study of Western Civilization traditionally follows a well-known but incomplete arc: the grand achievements of Greece and Rome, several hundred years of the Dark Ages, and then the bright emergence of the European Renaissance. But amid the "dark" Middle Ages, the Abbasid Empire, which ruled the Middle East as well as much of Northern Africa and Central Asia from 750 to 1258, serves as a vitally important but often overlooked bridge between the ancient and modern worlds.

The History and Achievements of the Islamic Golden Age is your opportunity to get to know the story and the accomplishments of this great period in human civilization. Taught by acclaimed lecturer Eamonn Gearon, these 24 remarkable lectures offer brilliant insights into an era too often overlooked by traditional history textbooks. You'll meet a wealth of scholars, scientists, poets, and philosophers who paved the way for the Renaissance and continue to affect our world in surprising ways.

For instance, gain insights into:

• The origins of the scientific method, along with the development of algebra, chemistry, physics, and astronomy as discrete fields of inquiry
• The invention of the modern "teaching hospital" and a medical encyclopedia that served Europe for the next 600 years
• The preservation and translation of the world's great literature, from the Hadith (or sayings of Muhammad) to the master works of Greece and Rome
• Ontological philosophy that served future Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theologians concerned with the nature of God and the relationship between faith and reason

It is nearly impossible to overstate the power and importance of this crucial 500-year history, headquartered in Baghdad but stretching around the world. While much of Europe was quietly passing the time, the Abbasid Empire was an international, multicultural hub of trade, travel, education, art, science, and much more.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2017 The Great Courses

Great content, delivered well.

Eamonn Gearon is an excellent lecturer; his passion and interest is infectious. The content of the lectures are informative, interesting, and very easy to listen to.

Sheer Brilliance!

I loved every second of this course! As a technologist myself, I now have so much perspective on the true origins of our age of amazing scientific advancement.

If Dr. Gearon taught me one thing, it’s that we truly stand on the shoulders of giants.

...Staggering...

Narrated with demonstrable enthusiasm and a rich,pleasing voice is this tremendous compendium of Islamic accomplishments over time.The breadth and depth of topics discussed is profound.As if representing the largest world-wide empire in history is not enough, Islam touched,molded,affected and explored everything in its' pathway.This encompassed areas from astronomy to medicine,from art forms to mathematics,from calligraphy to minarets leaving a mark on everything.Islamic influence stretched towards excellence.Of special intrigue was the establishment of Baghdad's House of Wisdom.This was the attempt to consolidate all known knowledge into Arabic.This seems in great contrast to today's devaluation of contemporary knowledge.This course expands the understanding of Islamic contribution and makes known characteristics of Islam more commendable than the patriarchy,terror and cruelty that often spring to mind today.This course also reminds us that religious wars are rooted in antiquity and teaches us of things lost and found between the battles.It is truly staggering in its' implications. I loved it!

Best Great Courses

The best Great Courses I've listened to. Not pandering, good voice, great writing, and very informative.

I learned so much!

Excellent and engaging presentation, well researched and highly informative. It was excellent, I am already downloading his other lectures to listen to them.