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A review by maitrey_d
Infidels: A History of the Conflict Between Christendom and Islam by Andrew Wheatcroft
3.0
Don't be taken by the title. It's not as comprehensive as it sounds. I think Wheatcroft commits the same mistake he accuses many others of committing in this book, namely, trying to cash in on the vast need now for books on "conflict" and the "clash" of religions/civilizations.
Infidels lacks a cohesive narrative structure from the beginning. Not that there is any problem tackling the Battle of Lepanto (1571 CE) first, and then moving to other time periods and areas of the globe. But I thought the book was going nowhere. The individual parts were quite good, some of them brilliant. But I still can't fathom why they were cobbled together and published as a book.
Wheatcroft presents a nice, linear history of the "Moors" of al-Andalus but then talks about the persistence of stereotyping and perils there of in another section dealing with the Balkans. The Crusades section is a confused mess, part history, part historiography and will leave no one happy.
But some of the ideas where really nice such as the continuous persistence of hatred and conflict between these two religions due to the stereotypes and other un-necessaries being raked up by vested parties. And he leaves a nice message of how it can be combated by using reason. Pick it up only if you are really interested.
Infidels lacks a cohesive narrative structure from the beginning. Not that there is any problem tackling the Battle of Lepanto (1571 CE) first, and then moving to other time periods and areas of the globe. But I thought the book was going nowhere. The individual parts were quite good, some of them brilliant. But I still can't fathom why they were cobbled together and published as a book.
Wheatcroft presents a nice, linear history of the "Moors" of al-Andalus but then talks about the persistence of stereotyping and perils there of in another section dealing with the Balkans. The Crusades section is a confused mess, part history, part historiography and will leave no one happy.
But some of the ideas where really nice such as the continuous persistence of hatred and conflict between these two religions due to the stereotypes and other un-necessaries being raked up by vested parties. And he leaves a nice message of how it can be combated by using reason. Pick it up only if you are really interested.