Islam

A Short History [Modern Library Chronicles]

By: Karen Armstrong

Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson

Best-selling author and renowned religious scholar Karen Armstrong presents a concise and articulate history of Islam, the world's fastest-growing faith. Beginning with the Prophet Muhammad's flight from Medina and concluding with an examination of modern Islamic practices and concerns, Armstrong delivers an unbiased overview. She contends that no religion is more feared and misunderstood by the Western world as Islam, and firmly challenges the notion that these two civilizations are on a collision course.©2002 Karen Armstrong

Well done!

This review is of the paper edition.

A well written history that will explain plenty to someone who wants to know more about Islamic history. This is not an in-depth study but an easy read. I only wish more Muslims would read it, I think the book would be an eye opener for them too.

Narrator ruined this book

This was a good short history of Islam, that perhaps gave a generous interpretation of some parts of its history.

The narrator, however, consistently mispronounced the most common Arabic words and phrases. Yes it's a foreign language. But how can you keep pronouncing the name 'Hussein' as Hu-sign? And that wasn't the worst of it. His pronunciation was totally distracting and I sometimes got the feeling he was doing it on purpose; no one could be that ignorant. Karen Armstrong deserves better.

Great history, tying it to current day lives

wonderfully covered history from the perspective of both Muslims and non Muslims. lessons derived and applied to the lives of today. some are companies about the pronunciation but I thought they were clear and totally fine. great listen. very insightful.

Very good book. Breaks it down for the casual reader and anyone else for that matter.

Right on, right on, right on! This was a very good book. It spoke to me like a story and Armstrong is a very good storyteller

Wonderful work of religous devotion.

If you could sum up Islam in three words, what would they be?

Armstrong's elegant prose and attention to detail asks us to see Islam from inside itself as the preeminent faith of peace and beneficence without the encumbrances of historical positivism. Armstrong's weighs each measure of the Islamic history with marvelous sympathy and pathos on its protagonists. For the Muslim reader, Armstrong's work will provide immeasurable source of comfort and strength. As a pragmatic work of apologetics, its shines and delights. The sole shortcoming of this work would be those who would prefer a purely historical and unfiltered work informed by all logically available sources including those that are unsympathetic to its message. Some readers will be disappointed in mistaking Armstrong's fine work of evangelical and religious devotion for a investigation of historical evidence.

Read the Book, pass on the audible!

The book is an excellent book. I have read several of Karen Armstrong's books and find them important in today's happenings. However the narrator is dreadful! He is dull and annoying! I agree with others, he has mangled pronounciation of names and terms and it is very difficult to listen to the book, knowing the correct pronounciation. It took me awhile to figure out he was talking about the Shia's when he was saying, "Shure-RIa" and "Shure-ease" Read the book and ask the publisher to get another reader to do the book justice.

Typical Armstrong - Always Good

One of the pre-eminent religious historians, perhaps the only writer who deserves that title, Armstrong provides a brief and concise history of Islam. Regretably Audio.com does not yet have her "Jerusalem" or other works (other than the excellent brief histor of The Buddha which is available). The fact that this is a "short history" in no way suggests it is historically incorrect or incomplete. Considering all of the trash about Islam published after 9-11 this book tells a simple and history of Islam which is *historically* correct. In many ways she walks in the footsteps of Barbara Tuchman, an historian to was concerned with the facts and in telling them in an interesting way. An excellent audio book and well narrated. And no I'm not a Moslem. I admire good and accurate history without all the political prejudice which seems popular with the current "history" being written. If fables and political viewpoints are your idea of "history" look elsewhere.

Text book delivery until the last couple of chapters

Great if you really want to know the exchange of leadership through Muslim history since Muhammed but hard to follow with the names of the people. Very text book in the delivery but great insight into the Islamic world.

Good overview but a lot of history

I had previously read the Qur'an and I wanted a book to better understand Islam. What I learned was that the history of Islam is really complicated. There were more dates and places than I could keep track of, such that for much of it I felt I was listening to a textbook. Still, it provides a good overview in a relatively short amount of time.

A Short History?

That title is a bit deceiving. Perhaps I should have been looking for something like "A Brief Understanding", or a "For Dummies" version. It was great & more concise than the title lead me to believe, but it was not an easy listen. If you're anything like me, plan on more than 1 bag of popcorn by the fireplace, & certainly try to skip the bottle of wine. A LOUD CHIME between chapters would have been nice, beyond that... GOOD BOOK ! ;)