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Islam

a Short History
Feb 18, 2015DorisWaggoner rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Armstrong's erudition and scholarship are on full display here, originally written in 2000. Her focus is on the origins, Muhammad as a person and the context in Arabia out of which his movement arose. Then she turns to the explosive expansive of the religion and its political system in the centuries after Muhammad's death. She also emphasizes cultural aspects of Islam, including contributions to science, technology, astronomy, and the arts. With all this, something must get slighted, and it seems to be the geographic scope of Islam. While she mentions its spread to Spain, it's only a mention, and there's no mention that countries like Indonesia are the most heavily Muslim in percentage terms. The 2002 date is apparently for the large print edition, and this book calls out for a revision after the events of 9/11. Still, for a brief introduction, it's highly informative.