Tamerlane

He was a ruthless conqueror, feared throughout Asia, Europe and Africa, and a superb military tactician. Yet he was also a patron of the arts and learning and he turned his capital - Samarkand - into a great city. Arabshah's biography of Tamerlane is that of a contemporary, and was written soon after the events it describes. It is highly detailed and, in contrast to most biographies of Tamerlane, is also highly critical, which makes it especially interesting. It is the major historical source on one of history's great conquerors. This edition carries a new introduction by a leading scholar.

Ahmad ibn Arabshah was born in Damascus. He witnessed Timur's sacking of the city and was amongst a group of captives whom Timur took back to Samarkand. He lived in the city and spent a decade working for Sultan Mehmet I, before returning to Syria. He died in Egypt.Robert D. McChesney, Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, New York University. Professor McChesney is a leading scholar on the history of Central Asia and Founder and Director of the Afghanistan Digital Library. His most recent books include Central Asia: Foundations of Change (1996), Kabul Under Siege (1999), and The History of Afghanistan (2012, translated and edited with M. M. Khorramia).