A journalist explores his family’s history to reveal the hybrid cultural and political landscape of Pakistan; the world’s first Islamic democracy Shahan Mufti’s family history; which he can trace back fourteen hundred years to the inner circle of the prophet Muhammad; offers an enlightened perspective on the mystifying history of Pakistan. Mufti uses the stories of his ancestors; many of whom served as judges and jurists in Muslim sharia courts of South Asia for many centuries; to reveal the deepest roots—real and imagined—of Islamic civilization in Pakistan. More than a personal history; The Faithful Scribe captures the larger story of the world’s first Islamic democracy; and explains how the state that once promised to bridge Islam and the West is now threatening to crumble under historical and political pressure; and why Pakistan’s destiny matters to us all.
#2863887 in Books Taylor Trade Publishing 2010-03-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.42 x 1.12 x 6.37l; 1.10 #File Name: 1589794478308 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Another Great Book About The OceansBy Ron JaneHave read four of this authors previous books. Taking The Sea; Treasure Ship; The Raging Sea; Sentinel of the Seas; and this book.The writers style on all books mentioned is very informative with no puffery and no endless stretching. This book is just excellent foranyone interested in the dangers of sea travel back in the day before accurate ocean charts and laws to protect seamen.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A riveting read of high seas adventure.By Paul McFarlandIf you enjoy the work of Patrick O'Brian or C. S. Forester you are going to love this book. Plus it has the advantage of being true. It would almost have to be - I am not sure I would accept a captain in fiction going into a dark hold to deal with two bears that have broken loose from their cages and are threading to eat up the cattle that make up the rest of the cargo. But that is just what Captain Johnny O'Brien did. His crew lowered him into the hold in the dark clutching a lantern with two pistols and a knife in his belt.Captain Dynamite Johnny O'Brien; the name resulted from his preventing a cargo of explosive from destroying a ship; was a working seaman from 1866 till his death in 1931. Over 60 years of following the sea. Starting as the lowest "boy" before the mast and ending up as a captain of huge steamships. He worked and mastered every type of vessel in service during these years.Throughout this fine book which was assembled from his own journals and logbooks by Dennis M. Powers we see the scope of the man himself. A powerful man who believed in doing the right thing and as the author states feared noting but God. The addition by the author of newspaper clippings and writings about the captain by others serves to round out the portrait of the man.Through the course of his career he met and influenced many powerful men both in the world of shipbuilding and development and in the general world as well. He was good friends with Jack London and may have provided him with some of the material for The Sea Wolf. At the close of his seafaring days he also served as a technical advisor for Buster Keaton's film The Navigator.But the real power and strength of this book does not lie with great deeds or powerful friends. It is with the insight into the day to day work and danger that made up a life at sea during the late 19th and early 20th century.This is a stunningly good book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good yarn.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A look at Tales of the Seven SeasBy W. B. SwainFor those that read and enjoy sailing adventure novels such as C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series or Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey series; TALES OF THE SEVEN SEAS will add a great deal of real life detail that such adventures necessarily omit. Rough men; working under almost impossible conditions accomplishing amazing goals all driven by the personality and skill of the real life Captain; Dynamite Johnny O'Brien. And the reader is there with them; feeling and seeing what conditions were like in the old sailing ship days as ocean commerce transitioned into steam.Very good detail on what life was like in that era not only aboard ship but also a look at conditions faced by the men taking part in the gold rush to Alaska. Captain Dynamite Johnny came into close contact with a number of well known names of the time and apparently influenced them in powerful ways. His acquaintance with Jack London; for example; with his tales of his First Mate Wolf O'Malley were apparently used later by London in his story Wolf of the Sea.I came across several technical errors concerning the handling of the sails but they are of minor import. However I cannot gloss over the statement that a chronograph was "an accurate clock used to determine direction." A chronograph is indeed an accurate clock but its use is far more important; it is used to determine Longitude.TALES OF THE SEVEN SEAS belongs in the permanent library of anyone interested in the old sailing ships and the men who sailed them. It ranks along with Last of the Cape Horners; First hand accounts of commercial tall ships; edited by Spenser Apollonio; The Bounty; true story of Mutiny on the Bounty by Caroline Alexander and In the Heart of the Sea Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. I know I will enjoy frequently dipping into Dennis Powers' delightful book.
