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A review by davehershey
Infidels: A History of the Conflict Between Christendom and Islam by Andrew Wheatcroft
3.0
Wheatcroft covers a lot of ground in this book. He starts with a retelling of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 (chapter one). This leads into chapter two where he sets forth the purpose of the book: "this book is about enmity, how it was created and how it is sustained" (p. 37). The next three parts of the book each discuss one zone of conflict between Christianity and Islam: Spain (part two), the Holy Land (part three) and the Balkans (part four). Especially strong was the section on Spain, for here alone does Wheatcroft tell a nearly linear story of history. When we move into the chapters on the Middle East we get the story of the First Crusade and an overview of how the crusading idea developed over the centuries from that of a war to more of a passionate, worthy cause. Good, but it left me wanting more, especially specific stories from subsequent crusades and more on Muslim reconquest of the Holy Land. In part four a linear story of history is mostly left behind in favor of relating how Christians and Muslims learned to hate each other in the Balkans. Finally, part five is a look at Muslim-Christian relations today, especially in terms of the United States' war on terror. The language of hate learned through the centuries is still use today.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, although the pace did slow down halfway through. It is not so much a linear history of what happened as it is a history of how Christians and Muslims ideas and stereotypes of each other have developed to what they are today. Wheatcroft seems to be harder on the Christians then on the Muslims; more faults of the Christians are pointed out and when the Muslims are faulted he is quick to say the Christians were bad too, though usually without specifics or footnotes. (Of course, I recognize I am a Christian reading this with my own bias, though other reviewers have noticed the same thing.) He concludes by urging people to be wary of resorting to the rhetoric of hate, for though it may help win a war or battle its long-term affect on nations is devastating.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, although the pace did slow down halfway through. It is not so much a linear history of what happened as it is a history of how Christians and Muslims ideas and stereotypes of each other have developed to what they are today. Wheatcroft seems to be harder on the Christians then on the Muslims; more faults of the Christians are pointed out and when the Muslims are faulted he is quick to say the Christians were bad too, though usually without specifics or footnotes. (Of course, I recognize I am a Christian reading this with my own bias, though other reviewers have noticed the same thing.) He concludes by urging people to be wary of resorting to the rhetoric of hate, for though it may help win a war or battle its long-term affect on nations is devastating.