Muslims on the Volga in the Viking Age. In the Footsteps of Ibn Fadlan, eds. J. Shepard, L. Treadwell, I.B. Tauris, London–New York–Oxford–New Delhi–Sydney 2023, pp. 404

Abstract

This monograph attempts to address the latest research into relations between Muslims and other Eastern European nations, as conducted in both the West and Russia. This book is an excellent example of a well-prepared collective publication, in which the individual contributions complement each other to form a unified whole. This is not a common practice in the era of collective publications, such as those under the Brill label, where the thematic, geographical or chronological scope is often too broad. Thanks to the editors, however, the monograph includes the findings of researchers from influential Western centres, as well as Russian archaeologists and historians. Their contribution is significant, not least because they regularly conduct research on the sites of events depicted in Ibn Fadlan’s account, and it would be difficult to write on this topic without considering their perspective.