The Lineaments of Islam: Studies in Honor of Fred McGraw Donner, edited by Paul M. Cobb

The Lineaments of Islam : Studies in Honor of Fred McGraw Donner, edited by Paul M. Cobb (Islamic History and Civilization, Studies and Texts, 95), (Leiden & Boston: Brill, 2012), xviii + 488 pp., ISBN: 978-90-04-21885-7, â¬168.00 / $234.00 (hb) (First paragraph) Published in honor of Fred M. Donner´s long and distinguished career as a leading scholar of early Islam and a professor of Near Eastern History at the University of Chicago, the book encompasses 17 original studies conducted by a number of Donner´s students and colleagues. The studies range over a wide array of sub-fields in Islamic history and Islamic studies, including early history, historiography, Islamic law, religious studies, Qurʾānic studies, and Islamic archaeology. The book also includes a bibliography of Donner´s works and a biographical sketch of sorts. It is clear that the book was intended as a tribute to Donner´s career and his impact on the scholarship in the field. However, while Cobb´s introduction serves as a heartfelt tribute to Donner´s life and career, it refrains from identifying the academic significance of the collection as a whole to the field of scholarly research.