Mu'awiya ibn abi Sufyan: The Saviour of the Caliphate Book

A scholarly and well argued account of the rise and rule of Islam's fifth caliph. Humphreys does an excellent job outlining the life of Muawiyah based on traditional sources but injects his historical analysis and critique when necessary. Nonetheless, the portrait is one that most who know the subject would be familiar with; that of a politically astute and prudent man who steadily consolidated power in Syria and eventually emerged as the victor in Islam's first civil war- the details of which are not discussed as much as the political motives and strategies of the parties involved. The author argues that it was Muawiyah's political talents that allowed the consolidation and continuity of the Caliphate to survive and expand. Policies such as the focus on naval raids against Byzantine Constantinople, selection of governors based on mutual self interest and firm loyalty, and patronizing the Syrian tribal elements on which his rule rested on are discussed and situated in their historical contexts. Overall, its an excellent introduction to the subject.