Ibn A'tham al-Kufi and his Kitab al-futuh (two-volume set)

This work of erudition, combining a meticulous editorial work aims to restore the significance of Ibn A'tham in Islamic historiography. The author offers the most detailed discussion ever produced of all the competing hypotheses and interpretations and situates Ibn A'tham floruit firmly between the 880s and 930s. The extensive discussion of the reception of Ibn A'tham's work underscores the remarkable flourishing of the Kitab alfutuh not only in Arabic but also in Persian. The second section devoted to the "textual tradition" offers the most comprehensive study of the manuscript tradition and reveals the many outstanding challenges to produce a full critical edition of the Kitab al-futuh. The focus on the Ridda narratives in the final section is a logical choice given the unusual length of that section in Ibn A'tham's work. The systematic discussion of Ibn A'tham's sources is especially helpful to properly situate him in Islamic historiography and understand why he often offers different narratives than the more traditional sources. Likewise, the effort to properly restore the place and role of the poetry along the way is much appreciated. The work is complemented by a useful set of tables arranged as appendices.