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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
informative
informative
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I wasn't so sure about this book at certain times. I think as a history, it mostly leaves gaps in your knowledge. Fortunately, I'd already read a few books that fill these gaps (and plan to read a few more). But the deeper I got into the book, the more it seemed clear that this wasn't a history. Not really.
I mean--yes, of course, this is history. It details about 1,500 years of history at a breathtaking rate. But the purpose of the book, I think, is to allow you to understand the sweep of history through the eyes of the Islamic world. This should have been obvious from the title, but sometimes I'm--you know--a real dummy.
I loved Ansary's book on Afghanistan and still prefer it to this, but I think this has helped me see history through the eyes of the Middle World much better than anything else I've encountered. Reading a lot of history gives you a lot of knowledge and understanding, but, I think, it can keep you removed from the subjects of that history. Ansary, being from Afghanistan, set out to bring we benighted westerners into a deeper understanding with the culture we've been fighting several endless wars with for the last twenty years.
It is an interesting experience, to feel more strongly why and how the Islamic world sees the west as it does. I mean, much of this has always been obvious. The way we've colonized and traumatized and terrorized the region easily explains the animosity, but the way Ansary posits that there's something even more fundamental to this. We are two cultures massively misunderstanding one another to the point that our negotiations are not only spoken in different languages but might as well be taking place on separate planes of reality.
That may be an overstatement, but I think it does much to explain why the average US citizen has a largely negative view of Islamic countries and why the average citizen of one of those Islamic countries likely has a negative view of the US. We are in conflict and competition but neither of us are playing by the same rules or even really playing in the same arena, despite playing the same game.
At the end of the day, as is true with all historical surveys, there's much more to be learnt. This is more the opening of a conversation than a definitive answer to inquiry. So I will likely be reading a few more books about Islamic history, though I think my interest, right now, is mostly with the Prophet Muhammad.
I mean--yes, of course, this is history. It details about 1,500 years of history at a breathtaking rate. But the purpose of the book, I think, is to allow you to understand the sweep of history through the eyes of the Islamic world. This should have been obvious from the title, but sometimes I'm--you know--a real dummy.
I loved Ansary's book on Afghanistan and still prefer it to this, but I think this has helped me see history through the eyes of the Middle World much better than anything else I've encountered. Reading a lot of history gives you a lot of knowledge and understanding, but, I think, it can keep you removed from the subjects of that history. Ansary, being from Afghanistan, set out to bring we benighted westerners into a deeper understanding with the culture we've been fighting several endless wars with for the last twenty years.
It is an interesting experience, to feel more strongly why and how the Islamic world sees the west as it does. I mean, much of this has always been obvious. The way we've colonized and traumatized and terrorized the region easily explains the animosity, but the way Ansary posits that there's something even more fundamental to this. We are two cultures massively misunderstanding one another to the point that our negotiations are not only spoken in different languages but might as well be taking place on separate planes of reality.
That may be an overstatement, but I think it does much to explain why the average US citizen has a largely negative view of Islamic countries and why the average citizen of one of those Islamic countries likely has a negative view of the US. We are in conflict and competition but neither of us are playing by the same rules or even really playing in the same arena, despite playing the same game.
At the end of the day, as is true with all historical surveys, there's much more to be learnt. This is more the opening of a conversation than a definitive answer to inquiry. So I will likely be reading a few more books about Islamic history, though I think my interest, right now, is mostly with the Prophet Muhammad.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Very fascinating, I think I learned some new stuff but not sure how well I retained it, lots of names and places, BUT, good storytelling for a history book
challenging
informative
sad
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
A history on this region from an Muslim/Arab perspective felt very refreshing. The author doesn't shy away from discussing the negative impacts of Islamization and the more bloody histories of the caliphs and sultans while still celebrating the rich culture of the area.
informative
medium-paced