Skip to product information
1 of 1

Aaron Tugendhaft

Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet

Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet

Regular price £16.56 GBP
Regular price £18.00 GBP Sale price £16.56 GBP
8% OFF Sold out
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

YOU SAVE £1.44

  • Condition: Brand new
  • UK Delivery times: Usually arrives within 2 - 3 working days
  • UK Shipping: Fee starts at £2.39. Subject to product weight & dimension
Trustpilot 4.5 stars rating  Excellent
We're rated excellent on Trustpilot.
  • More about Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet


The Islamic State released a video of men smashing sculptures in Iraq's Mosul Museum in 2015 as part of a mission to cleanse the world of idolatry. This book unpacks three key facets of that event: the status and power of images, the political importance of museums, and the efficacy of videos in furthering an ideological agenda through the internet. It questions whether there can be any political life without idolatry, explores the various roles Mesopotamian sculpture has played in European imperial competition, the development of artistic modernism, and the formation of Iraqi national identity, and compares the Islamic State's production of images to the ways in which images circulated in ancient Assyria.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 136 pages
\n Publication date: 22 October 2020
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
\n


In 2015, the Islamic State released a video of men smashing sculptures in Iraq's Mosul Museum as part of a mission to cleanse the world of idolatry. This book unpacks three key facets of that event: the status and power of images, the political importance of museums, and the efficacy of videos in furthering an ideological agenda through the internet.

Beginning with the Islamic State's claim that the smashed objects were idols of the "age of ignorance," Aaron Tugendhaft questions whether there can be any political life without idolatry. He then explores the various roles Mesopotamian sculpture has played in European imperial competition, the development of artistic modernism, and the formation of Iraqi national identity, showing how this history reverberates in the choice of the Mosul Museum as performance stage.

Finally, he compares the Islamic State's production of images to the ways in which images circulated in ancient Assyria and asks how digitization has transformed politics in the age of social media. An elegant and accessibly written introduction to the complexities of such events, The Idols of ISIS is ideal for students and readers seeking a richer cultural perspective than the media usually provides.

\n Weight: 168g\n
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 11 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226737560\n \n

This item can be found in:

UK and International shipping information

UK Delivery and returns information:

  • Delivery within 2 - 3 days when ordering in the UK.
  • Shipping fee for UK customers from £2.39. Fully tracked shipping service available.
  • Returns policy: Return within 30 days of receipt for full refund.

International deliveries:

Shulph Ink now ships to Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, India, Luxembourg Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America.

  • Delivery times: within 5 - 10 days for international orders.
  • Shipping fee: charges vary for overseas orders. Only tracked services are available for most international orders. Some countries have untracked shipping options.
  • Customs charges: If ordering to addresses outside the United Kingdom, you may or may not incur additional customs and duties fees during local delivery.
View full details