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by: Karen Armstrong  List Price: $14.95 Amazon.com's Price: $10.17 You Save: $4.78 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 297.09 EAN: 9780812966183 Edition: Rev Upd Su ISBN: 081296618X Label: Modern Library Manufacturer: Modern Library Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 272 Publication Date: August 06, 2002 Publisher: Modern Library Release Date: August 06, 2002 Studio: Modern Library Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: The picture of Islam as a violent, backward, and insular tradition should be laid to rest, says Karen Armstrong, bestselling author of Muhammad and A History of God. Delving deep into Islamic history, Armstrong sketches the arc of a story that begins with the stirring of revelation in an Arab businessman named Muhammad. His concern with the poor who were being left behind in the blush of his society's new prosperity sets the tone for the tale of a culture that values community as a manifestation of God. Muhammad's ideas catch fire, quickly blossoming into a political empire. As the empire expands and the once fractured Arabs subdue and overtake the vast Persian domain, the story of a community becomes a panoramic drama. With great dexterity, Armstrong narrates the Sunni-Shi'ite schism, the rise of Persian influence, the clashes with Western crusaders and Mongolian conquerors, and the spiritual explorations that traced the route to God. Armstrong brings us through the debacle of European colonialism right up to the present day, putting Islamic fundamentalism into context as part of a worldwide phenomenon. Islam: A Short History, like Bruce Lawrence's Shattering the Myth and Mark Huband's Warriors of the Prophet, introduces us to a faith that beckons like a minaret to those who dare to venture beyond the headlines. --Brian Bruya Product Description: No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstood as Islam. It haunts the popular imagination as an extreme faith that promotes terrorism, authoritarian government, female oppression, and civil war. In a vital revision of this narrow view of Islam and a distillation of years of thinking and writing about the subject, Karen Armstrong’s short history demonstrates that the world’s fastest-growing faith is a much more complex phenomenon than its modern fundamentalist strain might suggest. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - A great way to introduce yourself to IslamI listened to the audio set (6 CDs) of this book, & was really impressed by how much was conveyed in such a short time. It would be appropriate to classroom history of Islam as well. This book is very strong on understanding the Islamic view of religion & politics, religion & society needs, etc., not just a dry recitation of facts. I am really surprised at the negative reviews I read here, I thought this was a very approachable text. Give it a try! Rating:  - Good/Bad in "ALL," Religions PERIODRead the book and open your closed mind! Do NOT generalize about any culture or religion, as some of the 1 star reviewers have done. Those who generalize against any people or religion are nothing more than hypocritical BIGOTS! There is nothing complicated about it. If you look for the bad/good in any religion you will find it. What 1 star reviewers chose to focus on in this healingesque book, exposes their own misgiuded agenda. Rating:  - Apologetic in capital lettersArmstrong seems to be aware of the existence of Ibn-Ishaq's text "Sirat Rasul Allah", yet she doesn't seem to have read it. Instead, she uses Qu'ranic verses to show the peaceful nature of Islam. These verses however are often dating from the Meccan period. Very poetic and often very incomprehensible without the Qu'ran commentaries. She ignores the (more militant) verses from the Medinah period. Unfortunuatly she doesn't explain why she cites so arbitrary from the Qu'ran. On a more personal note ... Read More Rating: - Fascinating BookThis was a great book for trying to understand a very complicated religion. I found it easy to read and very insightful. Rating: - A must read for every thinking westernerWow what a great book, that educates the reader on facts most westerners don't know concerning Islam. How many westerners know that Arab businessman named Muhammad is the Prophet Muhammad and that he saw himself not as a holy man but as a leader for the left behind and forgotten amongst him? Or that Islam thru him, began because of how the Christians looked down on the Persians/Arabs, mocking them because they didn't have a holy leader like the Jews and Christians had? This alone ... Read More 
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