El islam: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles) - Softcover

"A small gem bristling with insight." --The Washington Post

"A valuable corrective to the hostile caricatures of Islam that circulate in the English-speaking world. . . . Engaging and provocative." --The New York Times

"Karen Armstrong, a respected and popular author of several books about religion . . . takes on a useful and formidable task in presenting the history of Islam in a single short volume. As many other such works have been written either by apologists or by those hostile to Islam, Armstrong's comprehensive and sympathetic work is welcome." --Los Angeles Times

"In Armstrong's brisk narrative, the clichés evaporate fast. . . . A book like this is suddenly essential." --Entertainment Weekly

Profiles the Islamic faith as a rich and vital religion far more complex than that suggested by the modern fundamentalist strain, documenting its history and citing the importance of understanding Islam as part of today's religious climate. Reprint. 100,000 first printing.