In Lesley Hazleton's THE FIRST MUSLIM she ponders the task and the dilemmas of the serious biographer; in the context of Muhammad's life.
Danny might modestly refute this out of hand but what he has done in terms of writing pieces of his life into this forum accords closely with what Lesley Hazleton means when she refers to the essential task of the biographer -
"To answer such questions requires exerting the biographer’s privilege and real purpose, which is not merely to follow what happened but to uncover the meaning and relevance within the welter of events."
And incidentally, should this reference to the life of Muhammad excite anyone's interest, it is a brilliant book. "How did the man hounded out of Mecca turn exile into a new and victorious beginning, to be welcomed back just eight years later as a national hero? How did he succeed against such odds? To answer such questions requires exerting the biographer’s privilege and real purpose, which is not merely to follow what happened but to uncover the meaning and relevance within the welter of events. It means weaving together the complex elements of Muhammad’s life, creating a three-dimensional portrait not so much at odds with the “authorised” version as expanding it."
Last edited by Fantome; 22nd Jun 2016 at 18:19.