Islam dominates the news these days—be it a story on Shia uprisings in Iraq, banning headscarves in French schools or prosecuting extremists involved in the Sept. 11 attacks—yet few Americans are familiar with the religion’s complex history. Author Ruthven, along with Muslim scholar Nanji, present a rich but accessible history of Islam, now the religion of one-fifth of the world’s population, from Mohammed to bin Laden. Brief, digestible essays create an illuminating picture of the pivotal moments and movements, like the colonization of the Muslim world and recent rise of Islamist terrorists, which are complemented by numerous color illustrations mapping the religion’s spread from ancient Arabia to its outer limits in today’s Africa and Southeast Asia. While this is not an infallible resource (the authors misidentify the location of Djenne’s enormous mud mosque; it is in Mali, not Niger), it is certainly a most helpful one. Color maps and photographs throughout.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Islam dominates the news these days--be it a story on Shia uprisings in Iraq, banning headscarves in French schools or prosecuting extremists involved in the Sept. 11 attacks--yet few Americans are familiar with the religion's complex history. Author Ruthven, along with Muslim scholar Nanji, present a rich but accessible history of Islam, now the religion of one-fifth of the world's population, from Mohammed to bin Laden. Brief, digestible essays create an illuminating picture of the pivotal moments and movements, like the colonization of the Muslim world and the recent rise of the Islamist terrorists, which are complemented by numerous color illustrations mapping the religion's spread from ancient Arabia to its outer limits in today's Africa and Southeast Asia. (
Publishers Weekly 20040904)
The social, historical and geographical overview presented in this atlas will reward the attentive and/or inquisitive reader with a wealth of insight that undermines the image of Islam propagated by sensation-seeking, often hostile media...
The Historical Atlas of Islam--whose extensive maps and diagrams take the Mecca–Medina axis as their focus--reminds us that, for a millennium, the Islamic world stood at the apex of human scientific, spiritual and cultural achievement.
--Fred A. Reed (
Montreal Gazette 20050114)
[
Historical Atlas of Islam] is a work of learning and labour. Both, the texts and the accompanying maps, help one to understand how history unfolded itself in the far-flung reaches of the Islamic World from Africa to China, across the Balkans, Central, South-East Asia...It is an invaluable and indispensable work.
--A. G. Noorani (
Frontline 20041214)
The
Historical Atlas of Islam is more than an atlas in the usual sense of the term. Besides an abundance of maps and other visuals, it provides an overview of the history of Islam, regionally organized, plus essays on numerous subjects. Recognizing the post-9/11 interest in Islam, the authors even take on the subject of Islam and terrorism, arguing with good reason that the war on terrorism seems to have an anti-Muslim bias. (
Christian Century 20041216)
Historical Atlas of Islam is an excellent reference work that ranges far and wide. It covers such topics as Muslim languages and ethnic groups, the spread of Islam, the rise and fall of the Ottoman empire, Muslim minorities in China, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinians, Islamic arts and the state of human rights in Muslim societies.
--Sheldon Kirshner (
Canadian Jewish News 20050201)
Maps and eye-catching illustrations accompany clear articles on everything from the early Sufi orders to Islam in the British, Russian and Dutch empires. History blends with social insights and religious coverage in an all-embracing visual display.
--Diane C. Donovan (
Midwest Book Review 20070401)
This generously illustrated volume presents a basic but comprehensive survey of the history of Islam in the world from Late Antiquity through the present war in Iraq. Nearly one hundred clear and well-designed color maps are supplemented by abundant color photographs...The essays are suited to nonspecialists, undergraduates and the general public, making the book ideal as a supplement for a survey course in Islamic history or reference work. The tone of the text is scholarly, sympathetic, and nondogmatic...The comprehensive geographic coverage effectively brings out the rich diversity of the Muslim umma...The atlas is a remarkable for its thoroughness and breadth, all the more so given its economical length.
--Brian A. Catlos (
Religious Studies Review )
