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.

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