Islam and the West: The Making of an Image (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Daniel's 1960 volume is listed in Reader's Adviser as one of the seminal works on the subject. Though carefully researched, the text has the benefit of firsthand observation by Daniel during his time as the British cultural attache to Cairo. The author revised the volume shortly before his death in 1992 to further correct erroneous ideas Westerners have about Islam. With immigration bringing more Islamics to the United States, this volume would be an important addition to public and academic libraries.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Norman Daniel's Islam And The West is a classic study of the formation and development of Western attitudes about Islam from medieval times to the present. Born of medieval conflict, to this day the relationship between Islam And The West remains one of confrontation and misunderstanding. Drawing upon a lifelong study of the subject, and thoroughly revised and updated before his death in 1992, Dr. Norman Daniel examines the religious and political considerations behind Western views of Islam, exploring such issues as attitudes towards violence and morality in Islam, the life of Muhammad, and the authenticity of the Qur'an. Islam And The West is an essential, core book for any personal, academic, or community library. -- Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 472 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld Publications (July 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851681299
• ISBN-13: 978-1851681297
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,481,795 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal, September 29, 2001

By A Customer

This is a remarkable work, detailing the perceptions of Islam prevalent in the West since the birth of Islam in the 7th century. Daniel documents the medieval misconceptions and shows how they still exist in today's popular culture AND in modern scholarship. He displays his proofs in the context of discussing the particulars of Islam and how they were perceived by the West. I wish everyone would read this book. It would considerably aid Muslim-Christian relations in the world and especially this country.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 Star Read, November 27, 2003

By	A. Tynyshov (KL, Malaysia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Norman Daniel has done a fairly well job on "How Islam was misinterpreted by Western Orientalists in history". However, I wish he had used more Islamic references (works by Muslim scholars) rather than that of non-Muslims. There are sometimes things that are not correct in Islamic viewpoint and would contradict to religious techings of Islam, but I guess he has relied more on non-Muslim scholar's works in writing this book.

So my suggestion would be don't just read this book alone if you want to know about West's viewpoint on Islam. You should read other books to know more on this topic, to get the real idea.