The Book of Roger is a twelfth-century Arabic geographical treatise commissioned by King Roger II of Sicily and compiled by the Muslim polymath al-Idrisi. On its completion in around 1157 it was the most detailed description of the known world produced up to that point. This translation covers Sicily, the seat of King Roger’s government, along with the other parts of the Norman kingdom in the South: southern Italy, the Adriatic, and Ifriqiya, as well as the book’s preface.

Presented in English translation for the first time this text offers insight into Roger’s motivation in commissioning such an endeavour, and the relationship between king and scholar. A comprehensive introduction explores what this important work tells us about the Norman kingdom in the South in the Middle Ages, while a series of detailed maps will enhance the reader’s appreciation of the richness of al-Idrisi’s data.

Katherine Jacka (Editor and translator) has a PhD in Middle Eastern History and Arabic from the University of Sydney.
Ahmed Fatima Kzzo (Editor and translator) is a fellow at the Columbia University Global Centre in Amman.
Matt King (Editor and translator) is Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of South Florida.
Sherif Abdelkarim (Editor and translator) is Assistant Professor in English at Grinnell College, Iowa.

List of Illustrations
Introduction: The Life, Times, and Works of al-Idrisi
Kitab Nuzhat al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al-Afaq / The Book of Pleasure for Those who Desire to Visit Far Away Places: Translation
The Preface
Clime 3, Part 1: Ifriqiya (partial)
Clime 3, Part 2: Ifriqiya
Clime 4, Part 2: Mediterranean Islands and Sicily
Clime 4, Part 3: South Italy and Southern Adriatic
Clime 5, Part 2: South Italy (partial)
Clime 5, Part 3: South Italy and Northern Adriatic
Bibliography
Index of Placenames