The line between history and hagiography in late antique and medieval writing is often permeable. The essays in this volume support the belief that the authors of both forms were aware of the
distinction even if they varied between using the two forms in the same work. The articles look at writers from the sixth through the eleventh century, all in the Near East. Most deal with
Christian histories and saints' lives, stressing martyrdom under both Zoroastrian and Muslim rule. Two discuss the ways in which Christian hagiography was adapted by Muslim exempla, in the
lives of the Companions of the Prophet and in the development of a coherent history of the Arab people and the early years of Islam. Several versions of stories are compared and analyzed as to
the impact desired by the authors. The book is an excellent addition to the "Cultural Encounters" series marred only by the lack of an index. Distributed in North America by The David Brown
Book Co. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
