Rating: 
Summary: A Good Intro
Review: Although this book covers a lot of material very quickly, I think it is a good place to start for someone learning about Islam. It gives general outline of the Islamic empire's history and also mentions many of the major Islamic thinkers and philosophers, such as Ibn Rushd, Ibn Sina and Al Ghazzali. It definitely gives a sense of the diversity in the faith, from Falsafa to Sufism, and gives the reader a chance to explore these other, less mainstream, sides of Islam. Not the only book you should read on Islam, but a good start.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent unbias well researched book on Islam
Review: I have never read a book on Islam that compacted so much valuable information in a small package (less than 300 pages!) "Islam a Short History" is excellent! and a good reference book for further study.NOte: Save reading the Chronology until you finish. Keep a highlighter and note pad with you. Who said knowledge is easy? It is really difficult to find books on Islam that are not full of political or religious bias. i.e. my religion is better than yours, we are right they are wrong....These types of books are full of hidden agendas, often times relating incorrect information and totally insulting the intelligence of the readers. Just give me the information so I can decide for myself! Thanks Ms. Armstrong for doing just that. Giving me accurate unbias information on Islam,uncovering the misunderstandings and taking me back to the 6th century. No serious religion and be studied overnigh;but atleast this book gives meat and not milk. I am a Muslim, and this is one of the few books I would give to a new Muslim or a friend interested in Islam.
Rating: 
Summary: I Would Rate This So So
Review: After 9-11 we all ran out and bought books on the middle east. I bought a variety of books including this one. It seemed a bit disjointed and heavy to read even though it is not a big book.
I would give it an average rating. Knowing what I know I would not have bought the book. There are other books easier to read. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Karen Armstrong did a good job of covering 1400 years of history in less than 200 pages. She discusses Muhammad's life briefly, the caliphs after him, the empires such the Ottomans, Safivads in Persia, Mughal dynasty, etc. There was a few things that I disagreed with her about like how she mentioned that the early Muslims didn't encourage conversion, but overall I really enjoyed reading this book. The last chapter about fundamentalism was especially interesting.
Rating:
Summary: SUPERLATIVE OVERVIEW OF ISLAM
Review: Karen Armstrong has done it again! Within the space of a few hundred pages she has encapsulated the whole complicated and sometimes divisive and violent history of Islam. But then, Christianity is guilty of the same violence and divisiveness. Ms. Armstrong is an acknowledged academic and historical and religious scholar and ALL of her books are best-sellers and contain much factual and informative knowledge in a palatable and easy-to-read way. She is a gifted writer and lecturer and her appearanceS on news programmes and interview shows have always been instructive and thought-provoking. This book is THE ideal introduction to the history of one of THE major religions of the world and one of the more contentious. It may not be too harsh to say that those - mostly male Islamists - who criticise her do so because of their innate misogyny and lack of academic credentials and sane thought. Timothy Wingate from Ottawa, Canada
Rating:
Summary: The Quran does not sanctify warfare.
Review: In Islam Muslims look for God in history. This masterful summary of Islamic history begins with a chronological table of significant events. Islam means surrender. Social justice was the crucial virtue of Islam. The Axial Age prophets and reformers all built on the old pagan rights of their region. Chrisitians and Jews, people of the book, enjoyed full religious liberty in Islamic empires. The Muslim wars of expansion were not a product of violent militaristic faith. The wars were not undertaken for a religious purpose. Initially conversion was not encouraged. Jihad means struggle. The first Umayyed caliphs were not absolute monarchs. There was a potential conflict between the needs of the agrarian state and Islam. It was difficult to see how the regime of Haroun al-Rashid was in any way Islamic. The luxury of the caliphate was in marked contrast to the asceticism of the Prophet. Beliefs and doctrines are not as important in Islam as they are in Christianity. Like Judaism, Islam is a religion that requires people to live in a certain way. The five "Pillars" are the essential practices of Islam. Karen Armstrong writes of the Sunni, the Shia, the esoteric groups including the Sufis, and the groups in revolt such as the assassins, who were said to use hashish to give them courage. The Crusades were devastating to the Muslims of the Near East. The Mongol irruption into Muslim life was traumatic. The Mongol rulers were fascinationg to their Muslim subjects. Rumi was a "drunken Sufi". The order he founded are often called the Whirling Dervishes. The discovery of gun powder supported imperial Islam, 1500-1700. Armstrong outlines the empire of the Ottomans and that of the Moghuls in India. She theorizes that reformers in the Islamic tradition tend to be conservative restorationists of the old true religion variety. The empires, with an agricultural base, declined. The new societies in Europe and America were formed on a different economic basis. Modernization involved social and intellectual change. Muslim countries were colonized. Some Muslim leaders urged their countrymen to acquire Western-style educations and to adopt Western ways. Some leaders undertook their own efforts at modernization. The conflict was that the Quaran promised that a society which surrendered to God's revealed will could not fail. The ideal Muslim state is not a given. Attempts at secularization were made by Attaturk, Nasser, and Reza Shah Pahlavi. Most Muslim states and organizations do not consider that fidelity to the Quran requires the imposition of pre-modern penal practices. The fact that Muslims have not found an ideal polity does not mean that Islam is incompatible with modernity. Fundamentalism is a global fact, not an exclusively Islamic one.
Rating:
Summary: A short history of one of the world's main religions.
Review: Armstrong does a good job of clearing up some misconceptions about Islam, especially the split between Shiite and Sunni. The history is pretty clear. The chronology, important terms, and important dates were welcome additions. There is a lot of meat in this small book.
The one point which I feel is well taken is the talk of fundamentalism. Armstrong states that fundamentalists exist in all major religions, including Islam. Fundamentalists seek to roll the clock back to the good old days, whatever that means. In the process, they add more to the religion than the original founders had meant. This addition may be good and bad, but this is what fundamentalists do. Most of what is added may be good, but the outside world never hears about that. What we hear about is how fundamentalists like Bin Laden murder thousands of people in the name of a peaceful religion.
One point I disagree about is the nature of autocracy in an agrarian state. Armstrong seems to think democracy can only exist in a industrial society. I feel there are models where democracy can exist in an agrarian economy.
Altogether a good read about a religion which is much in the news these days. Armstrong covers her subject well.
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Summary: AtheistWorld.Com Book Review
Review: This book leaves out much to be desired.
You are better off reading "Islam Exposed" by Solomon Tulbure ISBN: 1932303456
Rating:
Summary: Good book on history of Islam
Review: Karen Amrstrong a well known author of several good books. This book is no exception. At times it gets a little dry but lots of useful information. This books gives the account of last 1400 yrs of Islam.
Rating: 
Summary: By all means a short cut history book, nothing more.
Review: The author had just put the histories of all Islam related tribes, countries and empires into this single book. That's all. Very politically correct, resulting a very plain, and even shallow description of a "seemingly" loosely related group of people labeled as "Muslims", talking little about their religious beliefs and the driving force behind the many historical and religious events. In short, not recommended, unless you want to find a book that allows you to do some copy and paste for your secondary school history homework.
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