By Karen
Armstrong
This is an important book and an excellent primer for
understanding underlying motives of present-day Muslims through their
history. The book covers all the largest Islamic cultures and regions
of the world with detail and relevance to today.
But keep in mind the subtitle: A Short History. The book is not an appropriate sole introduction to Islam's current attitudes and tenants, since it focuses on historical events, with spiritual issues only sprinkled in when they directly influence the history. There is enough spirituality included to understand the history, however, and fairly good explanations of how the various sects differ.
The book was easier to get through then I expected. The first section, on the life of the Prophet, and the last section, on modern Islam, were particularly enjoyable. In the middle it got a little confusing. The hardest part was the names - because of the brevity of the book, many figures are mentioned only a few times, often with long intervals between. Luckily there were many helpful supplements - well-drawn maps, a glossary of arabic terms, a timeline, and list of key figures. To truly understand and appreciate all the events, you should keep flipping back and forth to the appendixes.