Title: Elegant, thorough, and substantive investigation of a complex topic
Product review: Tolan's _Saracens_ and his follow-up, _Sons of Ishmael_, are sophisticated, meticulous, and elegant investigations into a complex and shifting collective of medieval attitudes, texts, and sources. His preference for utilizing less-regularly cited primary documents is a marvelous gift, and he readily references other, more 'mainstream' works, which enables a scholar to follow his research trail in a logical and clear fashion. He avoids over-theorization in favor of summation and presentation, both needed and appreciated steps taken while he is writing formational texts in a growing field of study. Any student or scholar working on or interested in the formulation of medieval visions and attitudes towards Islam will be indebted to Tolan's careful scholarship. Highly recommended.
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