BOOK REVIEWS

In each issue, IJMES reviews about twenty-five scholarly monographs and selected edited volumes. In most cases, we only review books published in the last three years. The journal does not accept unsolicited book reviews nor do we consider recommendations for specific individuals to review specific books. When we receive a review copy of a relevant book from the publisher, we assign it to our most appropriate book review editor, who then commissions the review from a scholar in the field.

If you are interested in reviewing books for IJMES, please send your curriculum vitae to [email protected] with your areas of interest at the top. We will forward this to the relevant book review editor.

If you are a publisher, please send review copies of relevant books to the following address.

Joel Gordon, Editor IJMES
Department of History
1 University of Arkansas
416 N. Campus Dr.
Old Main Bldg 416
Fayetteville, AR 72701

IJMES relies on publishers to send us review copies of new books in a timely fashion. We do not actively solicit books from publishers.

Relevant books are scholarly monographs and collections that fit within the area encompassing the Middle East and adjacent geo-cultural regions from the seventh century to the present. This area includes North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab, Turkic and Persianate worlds, the Mediterranean and Balkans, Central, South and Southeast Asia and areas to which peoples from these lands have migrated or settled. Essays on communities that have historical, political, cultural or religious ties to the Middle East and on transnational or trans-regional relations are encouraged. Particular attention will be paid to works dealing with anthropology, art and architecture, cultural studies, economics, gender and LGBQT studies, history, law, literature, political science, religious studies, and sociology.

Please note that IJMES does not, except in very rare cases, review autobiographies, memoirs, fiction, reference books, reprints, or revised editions. We occasionally review edited volumes if the editor determines that a collection has an especially timely, clear, and coherent theme. IJMES will consider reviewing original scholarly monographs written in any European or Middle Eastern language, as well as English translations of scholarly works written in any language.

Book Review Guidelines 

Please note: The following guidelines are for use by book reviewers who have been commissioned by an IJMES book review editor. IJMES does not accept unsolicited book reviews. If you have played any significant prepublication role for a book (e.g., reviewing for the press or offering detailed advice), please recuse yourself from reviewing it for IJMES. Completed reviews should be returned to the book review editor who assigned it, not to the central office. It must be sent as a Microsoft Word email attachment (double-spaced, Times New Roman font, 12 point). The editorial office and publishers reserve the right to copyedit all articles accepted for publication.

Suggestions for Writing a Book Review

A book review should evaluate the arguments of a book rather than repeat information readily available online. In other words, it should not be a chapter-by-chapter summary of a text, but rather a critical discussion of its theses, structure, and style that places the text within the context of scholarly literature. IJMES wants to hear your opinion, and expects reviews to be well written, lively, and engaging. Some themes to consider while writing a book review include:

• The persuasiveness of the author's thesis, originality, and theoretical framework
• The coherence and clarity of the author's presentation
• The soundness, accuracy, and thoroughness of the scholarship
• The effectiveness of the writing style and organization of the book
• The relevance of the source material relative to the book's larger aims
• The book's contribution to debates in a field or body of literature
• The audience for which the book would be most appropriate or useful
• The clarity/effectiveness of the author's use of footnotes/endnotes/bibliography
• The effectiveness of the inclusion of charts, maps, illustrations, etc.

In addition, readers should know whether or not you recommend the book.

Instructions for Preparation

The book review must contain the publication and reviewer data above the main text, using this format:

John Doe, The Title of the Book, Series Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication). Pp. 364. $35.95 cloth, $16.95 paper.* ISBN.

Reviewed by Jane Doe, Department of Linguistics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR; email: [email protected].

Number of pages should include the preface—not Pp. xiv + 350 but Pp. 364. If the price is not clear on the review copy or accompanying material, use the price given on the publisher's website.

At the end of the review, please type your name and e-mail address.

Reviews should not require notes. If any are absolutely necessary, please see the guidelines above for instructions.

For anything not mentioned above, please follow the IJMES Transliteration Guide.