11th May 2012, London – His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has written the foreword for a new print of the soft back edition of the best-selling 1001 Inventions book published by National Geographic, which demonstrates the enduring legacy of Muslim civilization. The previous two editions of the flagship 1001 Inventions publication sold more than 250,000 copies, with Turkish and Arabic versions also proving very popular.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The soft back editions containing this new foreword are available in trade and not yet on the 1001 Inventions online shop. To purchase the edition with the foreword of The Prince of Wales please check with your local book store or online with Amazon.
Praising the project, The Prince of Wales states in his foreword: “I am delighted to see the success of the initiative called 1001 Inventions, which presents and celebrates the many scientific, technological and humanitarian developments shared by the Islamic world and the West.”
The Prince of Wales also states: “It is a matter of great pride that, although global in its outreach and operation, 1001 Inventions is in fact an initiative of a British-based team supported by a network of academics around the world.”
1001 Inventions highlights how many of the most important scientific and technological discoveries and building blocks of modern civilization came out of Muslim society during the centuries after the fall of ancient Rome — a period known as the ‘Dark Ages’ in European civilization. However, while the Western World was in the doldrums, a “knowledge revolution” was occurring in the Muslim world.
The new edition of the book, titled 1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization, is official companion to the blockbuster 1001 Inventions exhibition, which is due to open at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC, at the start of August 2012. This third edition details hundreds outstanding achievements and the pioneering minds behind them.
The book’s seven chapters are richly illustrated and provide insight into everyday life across Muslim civilization and the related and subsequent growth and progress of Western civilization. There is also an extensive reference section, a glossary of subjects and people, charts, timelines and maps illustrating the inventions and contributions, photographs, artifacts, historic documents and drawings.”
Ahmed Salim, Producer of 1001 Inventions, commented: “We are honoured that The Prince of Wales has written the foreword for the latest edition of the 1001 Inventions book. The Prince of Wales has, for many decades, actively promoted greater awareness of the enormous impact that Muslim Civilisation has had on our modern way of life, and he has publicly recognised the enormous, yet under-appreciated, positive influence that this era in history has on the world in which we live. We are grateful for The Prince of Wales’ continuing support for the important work that we are carrying out.”