Details
Synopsis
In ISLAM: A SHORT HISTORY, the always erudite and engaging religion writer Karen Armstrong meets the needs of those who feel they are, for whatever reason, poorly informed or are just curious about one of the major world religions. As she did in her bestselling A HISTORY OF GOD, Armstrong presents Islam's basic history, key figures, and major precepts--all necessary--while at the same time conveying a sense of religion's mystical sources and its deep and continuing presence in the lives of many. Armstrong explicates the common sources of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and then recounts the life of Muhammad, as he flees Mecca and unites his followers with the people of Medina and other regions; she tells of the first mosques, the Crusades, and the spread of Islam into Africa and Asia, and then carries her history to the current time, with the forming of Pakistan, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the global eruptions following September 11, 2001. Eminently readable, Armstrong's book beats a clear and easy path through the complexities of history, always maintaining an objective stance. She is sensitive to the emergence of factions within Islam, and wades fearlessly into terrain that is hotly argued, especially the rise of fundamentalism and its meaning for current times. ISLAM: A SHORT HISTORY is an important one-volume overview that can be helpful for readers who just wish to know more, and also for those who wish to use it to help them envision the prospects for greater conciliation and world peace.
| Details | | Series: | Modern Library Chronicles |
| Size | | Length: | 222 pages | | Height: | 7.5 in | | Width: | 5.0 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 11.2 oz |
Publisher's Notes
First Line: "During the month of Ramadan in 610 C.E., an Arab businessman had an experience that changed the history of the world."
Industry Reviews
"[Armstrong's] goal is ambitious: to tell the story of how one-fifth of humanity has spent the past 1,400 years--and to do it in 187 pages....Considering the vastness of the enterprise and the brevity of volume, Armstrong does surprisingly well. But considering the importance of the subject and the skills of the author, one might have hoped for something more....Indeed, the book's main shortcoming stems from the fact that it is, well, short. No doubt Armstrong could have done her subject better justice if she'd written 'Islam: A Thorough History.'"
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"Armstrong has produced a work of history that while somewhat lacking in balance is engaging, provocative and often persuasive."
New York Times - William H. McNeill (09/03/2000)
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