Irving and the Life of the Prophet Mohammad

In 18 forty two, president john tyler appointed irving as minister to spain. This is a precarious time for spain and for the united states relations with it. Irving held out until james k polk took office, and then he resigned when it just didn't seem like polk was going to name a replacement any time soon. In 18 forty six, he published the life of mahomet, and mahomet and his successors in 18 forty nine and 18 50. These were books that he had started working on while living in spain. It has been described as the first sympathetic biography of the prophet mohammed to be published in north America.