Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #200701 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 628 pages

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive historical perspective of Middle East conflict
In this book, Karen Armstrong juxtaposes accounts of the historical and current conflicts in the Middle East, providing convincing arguments that today's troubles, largely attributed to Islam fundamentalism, are in fact the continuation of a chain of events triggered by Pope Urban's first crusade, and the attempts of Western Europe and its church at that time to establish themselves after the dark ages.

Ms. Armstrong stresses the importance of "triple vision", i.e. the ability to view the conflict from the perspective of the Islamic, Jewish and Christian communities. It is in this spirit that the book should be read. In the course of the book, she shows understanding for each perspective. However, her sympathy appears to be more with the Islamic people in this account, than with the other two. This may be due to the fact that more explanation of the Islamic perspective is generally required, as this group is typically least familiar to the Western reader, and has been misrepresented or even demonized in the Western media.

Ms. Armstrong alternates between historical and modern times chapter by chapter. This technique is effective in driving home her arguments, but nonetheless it can sometimes feel a little too forced. The book is worth rereading in order to clearly sequence the events for oneself.

I found it immensely refreshing to read such a well-researched book, which tackles the discussion of the Middle East conflict from a broader historical perspective, starting with Abraham and ending with the fatwa against Salman Rushdie. Unlike many books available currently, this is a scholarly work, free of sensationalism. On a general note, as with any historical account, one can never forget while reading the book, that the events chosen for inclusion in the account are chosen at the writer's discretion and are also commented by her. With such an emotive and important subject, I think that it is essential to read several books on the topic to attain ones own "triple vision".

The Epic History
Karen Armstrong has written a brilliant narrative of the Crusades, in a unique and engrossing fashion.

This large book, deals with every single Crusade that took place (1 - 13), and shows how they effected today's world in the Bush era. The Byzantium empire, the forming of Israel, and the Mongol campaign that ran parallel are all covered, jumping back and forth in time, but in and understandable and logical fashion. Unbiased accounts are given of the acts and events of the age, and no religion is made to look sinister, it's just a case of chronicled events, which does make the Crusaders look a little naughty. I read this book before watching the Kingdom of Heaven film, expecting it to be totally historically wrong, but apart from the ludicrous movie version of the defence of Jerusalem, it was quite close.

Karen Armstrong was a nun, not a military General. So don't expect detailed battled accounts, or stories of Templar knight's crossbows firing volleys in the Muslims. A summary of any relevant event is given, and for this it works quite well. The death of the last Grand Master, or the siege and treachery that allowed the capture of Jerusalem are all covered. If you were going to read one book on the Crusades, this is the one. If you find some thing you like in here, Knights of the Hospital, the Popes war with Europe's kings or prophecies of Armageddon and the anti-Christ then read up on that in detail later.

Perhaps out of all the books I have ever read, this book has taught me more useful facts, and enlightened me more than any other. The Crusades a very famous era, but the full truth is twice as amazing.

Ambitious Effort
In HOLY WAR Karen Armstrong presents a sweeping history of religious conflicts in the Middle East from the time of Pope Urban II in the eleventh century to the current age. The central theme of the book can be summarized as follows: The Crusades in the Holy Land during the Middle Ages have a direct influence on the troubles in the Middle East today. Holy Wars are a response to trauma. A close look at the First Crusade in 1096 shows that the Jihad had fallen into disuse until it was revived to counter the invasion by European Christians. America and Israel share a strong feeling of identification partly due to the fact that they were both settled by European refugees. America and Israel are now allied in a new Holy War against Muslims.

Karen Armstrong is not a professional historian. Her primary field is actually English Literature and she is also an ex-nun with several years in a Roman Catholic convent in her background. My only criticism of her book is that it may be too ambitious in terms of its scope. There is simply too much material to cover in just one volume. The author, however, almost pulls off the impossible because of her formidable skills as both a writer and storyteller.