"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