Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd El-Kader

(Paperback)

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This biography and military history of Islamic resistance to the French occupation of Algeria lends valuable insight into current US/Muslim relations.

'A dramatic story . . . any number of episodes could inspire novels . . . impossible to read without thinking of more current events.' The New York Times

'A valuable and timely reminder . . . of that rare figure: a bridge between East and West.' Times Literary Supplement

This well-researched and compelling biography of the Muslim warrior-saint who led the Algerian resistance to French colonisation in the mid-nineteenth century sheds light on current US involvement with a global Islam. The most famous 'jihadist' of his time, Abd el-Kader was known equally for his military brilliance and his moral authority. His New York Times obituary called him 'one of the few great men of the century.'

Reviews

"...a dramatic story of quarreling tribes, of Sufi sects and brotherhoods, of treacherous Ottoman officials, rival French generals, secret negotiations, broken truces, terrible atrocities and new forms of insurgency and counterinsurgency warfare. Any number of episodes could inspire novels... But it is hard to read Commander of the Faithful without thinking of more recent events. - Peter Steinfels, New York Times

"...a strikingly good biography and an important one as well... the result of more than a decade of scholarly research." - ForeWord Magazine

"...notable for illustrating that the meeting of civilizations need not always produce a clash." - Kirkus Reviews

"...a valuable and timely reminder of a gifted man who is regarded by many as a philosopher-saint who balanced devout faith with openness to new ideas.... that rare figure: a bridge between East and West." - Times Literary Supplement

"...brings both the man and his world brilliantly to life." - Steve Simon, Council on Foreign Relations

"...could only have been written by someone with a profound knowledge of the French and Arab worlds..." - Fredrick Starr, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

"...an important book on an important subject. I hope it will reach a wide audience. I will introduce it to my fellow scholars and students." - Seyyed Hossein Nasr, University Professor of Islamic Studies, George Washington University

"Commander of the Faithful should be used as a guidebook for understanding current and future conflicts and interventions." - Col. John Bourgeois USMC (ret)