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The House Divided: Sunni, Shia and the Making of the Middle East
Rogerson's timely book begins with the contemporary Middle East and the proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies and Shiite Iran. To understand these, he suggests, we must understand the origins of the Sunni-Shia divide, which go back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, the accidental coup that set aside the claims of Ali, and the slaughter of Ali's son Husayn at Kerbala. These events, known to every Muslim, have created a slender fault line in the Middle East.
This is a vivid and pulsating tale full of doomed heroes and secret conspiracies as Rogerson shows how the rivalry between Arab, Turk and Persian has shaped the modern chessboard of nation states, oil wells, mountains and minorities, and at the seismic shift from the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Iit is vital, Rogerson contends, to empathise with the Islamic world and understand their story-lines, or this disastrous schism may pull us all apart.
This is a vivid and pulsating tale full of doomed heroes and secret conspiracies as Rogerson shows how the rivalry between Arab, Turk and Persian has shaped the modern chessboard of nation states, oil wells, mountains and minorities, and at the seismic shift from the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Iit is vital, Rogerson contends, to empathise with the Islamic world and understand their story-lines, or this disastrous schism may pull us all apart.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 4, 2024
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About the author
Barnaby Rogerson
41 books53 followersBarnaby Rogerson (1960-) is a British author, television presenter and publisher. He has written extensively about the Muslim world, including a biography of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and numerous travel guides. Rogerson was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and studied Medieval History at St Andrews University
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 18, 2024
"The House Divided: Sunni, Shia and the Conflict in the Middle East" by Barnaby Rogerson is an excellent place to start if you are looking for a easy to read and easy to understand account of the Sunni-Shia divide. In just over 380 pages Rogerson covers the complete history of the Sunni-Shia split, starting with Muhammad and ending with the current period with China's new Silk Road initiative in the Middle East.
The book ranges across the various countries, regions, and conflicts where Islam has reached, and discusses the issues that have come with the Sunni-Shia divide and which has bedevilled our modern times. The book is engaging and interesting and although not detailed it offers a very good overview of this historical period. I also found that the author appeared to be very balanced and non-biased in his opinions when discussing this potentially divisive topic.
Another good aspect of the book is that the author has taken the time to offer some excellent titles for further reading covering the subject matter of each chapter in his book. Overall this is an excellent historical study on the topic of the Sunni-Shia divide.
The book ranges across the various countries, regions, and conflicts where Islam has reached, and discusses the issues that have come with the Sunni-Shia divide and which has bedevilled our modern times. The book is engaging and interesting and although not detailed it offers a very good overview of this historical period. I also found that the author appeared to be very balanced and non-biased in his opinions when discussing this potentially divisive topic.
Another good aspect of the book is that the author has taken the time to offer some excellent titles for further reading covering the subject matter of each chapter in his book. Overall this is an excellent historical study on the topic of the Sunni-Shia divide.
December 16, 2024
I find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed as I begin to review this book. Obviously, it is best to review most books as close to finishing them as you can. This may not be true in every case: for instance, if a book really stood out to you as being of excellent quality or conversely, terrible quality, it’s simple to recall that feeling of delight or frustration. But when it’s something you’re more conflicted over, the details matter.
I’m going to keep this review as brief as possible (although I’m not sure that word is in my vocabulary). Really, if you want better insight as to what you’re getting yourself into, then I suggest Mohammad Amir Hakimi Parsa’s review on behalf of HistoryToday (non rated) or the two-star review left by Saju. (I’ll try to link these later on my laptop, but don’t hold your breath!).
A good indicator of how I feel about a certain book is often reflected in the time it takes me to read it - providing there weren’t factors that indicated a lack of time. I have struggled this year with a massive loss, so if I was bad before at commenting/reviewing/answering messages, it’s gotten downright awful. But that’s not the reason it took me so long to read this book - and it was a considerable amount of time, given it wasn’t a door knocker, had larger-than-average font (or at least compared to most books I read) and was easily readable.
I think the main problem with this book isn’t that Barnaby Roberson isn’t familiar with Middle Eastern history. No, I’d say he’s more than qualified to write this story. Where did it go wrong, then?
I don’t feel I gained much more knowledge about the myriad reasons for why Islam split into Sunni and Shi’a upon the death of the Prophet Muhammed after completing this book. Of course, there were some interesting facts that I hadn’t known beforehand, but I’m referring to the more contentious points that two people might debate over.
A lack of a cohesive narrative might be the best way I can personally sum it up. Another might be that he was simply trying to explain too much in too short of a story, and ended up giving unnecessary details which weren’t quite pertinent to the main point. I believe had he stayed focused on the early years, as he does in part one and part two, even part three, I believe, served its purpose - we would have gotten more from it.
But by devoting half the book to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and beyond, he is mostly engaging in modern day geopolitics which readers interested in Middle Eastern history are likely already quite familiar with.
As it stands, it was an interesting book, but as reviewer Saju points out, doesn’t really get to the theological roots of the Sunni-Shi’a divide. I did feel I learned a bit more about Turkey and its foundations/beliefs, but that may also have something to do with the fact that I was discussing large parts of it with my closest friend Sinem, who is Turkish (shocker!). “Shia are insane” was what she told me. “I’m not exaggerating at all. They’d spit on me if I went into certain areas of Turkey and said I was Sunni.” She also declared that Kurds were insane.
I’m pretty sure that’s grounded in research and not at all biased, haha. But she is one of the most logical people I’ve ever met (what else would you expect from someone with a PhD in mathematics?). So I’m sure she has her reasons. I just wish this book had addressed more of those reasons more clearly. Maybe I’m missing something, so for that I’ll round up from a 3.5/5 to a 4, instead of rounding down.
I’m going to keep this review as brief as possible (although I’m not sure that word is in my vocabulary). Really, if you want better insight as to what you’re getting yourself into, then I suggest Mohammad Amir Hakimi Parsa’s review on behalf of HistoryToday (non rated) or the two-star review left by Saju. (I’ll try to link these later on my laptop, but don’t hold your breath!).
A good indicator of how I feel about a certain book is often reflected in the time it takes me to read it - providing there weren’t factors that indicated a lack of time. I have struggled this year with a massive loss, so if I was bad before at commenting/reviewing/answering messages, it’s gotten downright awful. But that’s not the reason it took me so long to read this book - and it was a considerable amount of time, given it wasn’t a door knocker, had larger-than-average font (or at least compared to most books I read) and was easily readable.
I think the main problem with this book isn’t that Barnaby Roberson isn’t familiar with Middle Eastern history. No, I’d say he’s more than qualified to write this story. Where did it go wrong, then?
I don’t feel I gained much more knowledge about the myriad reasons for why Islam split into Sunni and Shi’a upon the death of the Prophet Muhammed after completing this book. Of course, there were some interesting facts that I hadn’t known beforehand, but I’m referring to the more contentious points that two people might debate over.
A lack of a cohesive narrative might be the best way I can personally sum it up. Another might be that he was simply trying to explain too much in too short of a story, and ended up giving unnecessary details which weren’t quite pertinent to the main point. I believe had he stayed focused on the early years, as he does in part one and part two, even part three, I believe, served its purpose - we would have gotten more from it.
But by devoting half the book to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and beyond, he is mostly engaging in modern day geopolitics which readers interested in Middle Eastern history are likely already quite familiar with.
As it stands, it was an interesting book, but as reviewer Saju points out, doesn’t really get to the theological roots of the Sunni-Shi’a divide. I did feel I learned a bit more about Turkey and its foundations/beliefs, but that may also have something to do with the fact that I was discussing large parts of it with my closest friend Sinem, who is Turkish (shocker!). “Shia are insane” was what she told me. “I’m not exaggerating at all. They’d spit on me if I went into certain areas of Turkey and said I was Sunni.” She also declared that Kurds were insane.
I’m pretty sure that’s grounded in research and not at all biased, haha. But she is one of the most logical people I’ve ever met (what else would you expect from someone with a PhD in mathematics?). So I’m sure she has her reasons. I just wish this book had addressed more of those reasons more clearly. Maybe I’m missing something, so for that I’ll round up from a 3.5/5 to a 4, instead of rounding down.
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June 6, 2024In the span of a few decades the Muslims transformed from a tribal confederation of Bedouins to masters of a vast, cosmopolitan empire stretching from the Hindu Kush to the Iberian peninsula. It is an extraordinarily complicated period, both in terms of the events themselves and their historiography. Almost every primary source dates from approximately 200 years after Muhammad’s death, by which time the umma had undergone a fundamental change. These sources can be assumed to be influenced by the agendas of their time. Their reliability is a point of intense debate among scholars.
Put simply, early Islamic history is dauntingly complex. To tell it in a lucid narrative the historian needs to find a way of sidestepping these issues. One such way is to simply take the traditional accounts at face value, as Barnaby Rogerson does in The House Divided. As an academic historian of the Islamic world, I found in Rogerson’s book a quality which my colleagues and I often overlook: readability. This is not only an accessible account of Islam’s schism, but a compelling introduction to the history of the Middle East. It is one, however, in which theological differences between Shi’ism and Sunnism are either mentioned in passing or not mentioned at all, ideology takes a backseat to politics, and essentialisations allow the author to avoid tangential discussions. The upshot is a book of which, not infrequently, I found myself reading an extra chapter when I had intended to read only one.
The author of a previous biography of Muhammad, Rogerson shows the strength of his knowledge in early chapters where he outlines the life of Muhammad and his successors, the caliphs. My personal assessment, and that of most scholars, is that the broad strokes of the traditional narrative are probably true, but that little confidence can be put into specific details.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Mohammad Amir Hakimi Parsa is Associate Lecturer in Middle Eastern and Islamic History, c.600-1700 at the University of St Andrews.
Put simply, early Islamic history is dauntingly complex. To tell it in a lucid narrative the historian needs to find a way of sidestepping these issues. One such way is to simply take the traditional accounts at face value, as Barnaby Rogerson does in The House Divided. As an academic historian of the Islamic world, I found in Rogerson’s book a quality which my colleagues and I often overlook: readability. This is not only an accessible account of Islam’s schism, but a compelling introduction to the history of the Middle East. It is one, however, in which theological differences between Shi’ism and Sunnism are either mentioned in passing or not mentioned at all, ideology takes a backseat to politics, and essentialisations allow the author to avoid tangential discussions. The upshot is a book of which, not infrequently, I found myself reading an extra chapter when I had intended to read only one.
The author of a previous biography of Muhammad, Rogerson shows the strength of his knowledge in early chapters where he outlines the life of Muhammad and his successors, the caliphs. My personal assessment, and that of most scholars, is that the broad strokes of the traditional narrative are probably true, but that little confidence can be put into specific details.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Mohammad Amir Hakimi Parsa is Associate Lecturer in Middle Eastern and Islamic History, c.600-1700 at the University of St Andrews.
November 22, 2025
This is wonderful book on a very interesting subject and is another one to keep on the bookshelves.
The one item I don't like is that there's a number of spelling mistakes, notably references to toyalist forces.
The history of the split between Shia and Sunni is well dealt with as are the various schisms in the history of the Shia. The history continues throughout the Middle Ages with descriptions of the Islamic dynasties that held power from Egypt and Yemen to Central Asia. The Crusades are not covered in any great detail.
The history continues up until 2023 with descriptions of countries such as Azerbaijan and Qatar.
The one item I don't like is that there's a number of spelling mistakes, notably references to toyalist forces.
The history of the split between Shia and Sunni is well dealt with as are the various schisms in the history of the Shia. The history continues throughout the Middle Ages with descriptions of the Islamic dynasties that held power from Egypt and Yemen to Central Asia. The Crusades are not covered in any great detail.
The history continues up until 2023 with descriptions of countries such as Azerbaijan and Qatar.
April 13, 2025
Useful, generally readable history. I found his obvious simping for the Shi'a to be obnoxious, but perhaps it can be forgiven. Muslimcels are a curious bunch, to be sure.
July 16, 2025
Incredibly well written and accessible. The first part of the book was definitly the strongest and closest related to the subject matter but a really interesting read overall.
June 17, 2025
A worthwhile read for anyone trying to understand the predicaments of the contemporary Middle East and how they formed throughout history. Readers will get an understanding of the Sunni/Shia divide at a level that is enough to comprehend the tensions of today.
The book itself does try to cover a lot and some areas feel more surface level than others. Towards the end, some sections even feel rushed and there’s a noticeable increase in spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as shorter chapters.
To make up for the lack of detail in places, the author does provide an extensive ‘further reading’ section, giving the reader the opportunity to explore any particular areas of interest in more detail without too much effort.
The book itself does try to cover a lot and some areas feel more surface level than others. Towards the end, some sections even feel rushed and there’s a noticeable increase in spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as shorter chapters.
To make up for the lack of detail in places, the author does provide an extensive ‘further reading’ section, giving the reader the opportunity to explore any particular areas of interest in more detail without too much effort.
July 27, 2025
Rogerson, no es historiador, pero los capítulos de esta temática son buenos, es la primera vez que me queda claro el tema de la división islámica y los orígenes de esta religión, muy importante esos primeros capítulos. Los que ya son más recientes son útiles para entender los actuales conflictos en medio oriente, algunos son algo aburridos de leer; no obstante, es un texto recomendado para iniciarse en la historia del mundo musulmán.
El autor empieza su introducción, mencionando que muchas guerras civiles en Medio Oriente se debieron a temas religiosos por lo que es muy común los conflictos dentro del mundo musulmán lo que ha resultado en atentados terroristas y desplazamientos, las diferencias no solo se a cuestiones internas del islam, sino por motivos étnicos que la lengua, cada país tiene su propia historia y pasado en el mundo islámico.
Respecto a las dos principales vertientes del islam es importante destacar que ambos veneran a Mahoma, este último siendo un comerciante entre Yemen en las ciudades comerciales de Siria, ambas también estudian y aceptan el Corán, el cisma se debe más a quien debía liderar a la comunidad, partiendo de aquí es que se escribe en algunos aspectos cruciales de la vida del profeta, donde se destaca la imagen de pobreza que proyecta, los árabes también se inspiraron de las Cortes bizantinas y persas aunque Mahoma despreciaba mucho la suntuosidad, este también tenía amigos que le llevaban información y lideraban el Ejército pero hay que tener presente que no había una clara jerarquía en la comunidad naciente del islam, por los que Mahoma solamente es un líder humilde que será este aspecto muy importante a futuro de líderes.
El segundo capítulo es sobre la huida de Mahoma hacia Medina, aquí se menciona un clan muy importante para los sunitas los cuales son los Quraysh, esto se debe a que para los sunitas el liderazgo musulmán debería provenir dentro de esta tribu, para los chiitas, por el contrario, se centran más en la familia de Mahoma. es en Medina que se lleva a cabo una Constitución donde se habla sobre la libertad religioso a causa de que en este lugar habían judíos, en esas primeras etapas del islam había poco interés en lo administrativo y político por parte del profeta, lo fundamental será siempre el código moral sobre los aspectos políticos, con el establecimiento de Mahoma en Medina empiezan los ataques hacia las caravanas con ello se presiona a la meca y se incentiva el reclutamiento del Ejército para obtener botín de estas caravanas, con esto también se podrían aliar con tribus cercanas a la meca y con ello aislar a esta ciudad.
Un aspecto importante en el sistema de las vertientes del islam es entre la esposa de Mahoma más venerada por los sunitas Aisha y la hija del profeta Fátima, última siendo más importante para los chiitas, todo esto a causa de que Mahoma no dejó un hijo varón como sucesor. El tío del profeta Ali, es importante para las dos vertientes del islam, este estuvo muy cerca al profeta y ya para el año 628 este regresaría a la meca dando sus últimas revelaciones, la cuestión era sobre quién debía ser el sucesor de él, para los chiitas debe hacer allí puesto que podía ser un líder religioso, militar y político.
con la muerte del profeta se llevó a cabo una reunión para elegir al primer califa el cual fue escogido entre los clanes de las tribus de Quraysh, al final se escogió al primer califa ya esta elección se hizo con las estructuras existentes de la sociedad árabe, la ausencia de alguien en estas reuniones se debió a que estaba velando el cuerpo del profeta, el tema del primer califa es tema de debate ya que algunos defienden que esta acción se hizo para evitar una guerra civil al tener la comunidad un solo líder, pese a todo es innegable que los dos primeros califas eran grandes líderes políticos.
Con los dos anteriores califas y los dos siguientes es que se inicia la época de los califas bien guiados, el primer califa Abu Bakr, tuvo que aplastar para revueltas en la península arábica y conquistó varias regiones al este de Arabia, empezaron las pequeñas incursiones en el mundo persa y bizantino contando el Ejército árabe con grandes comandantes. Mientras esto pasaba, para los chitas, este es un período de sufrimiento tanto para Ali como para Fátima, el primero se centró más en la enseñanza y la oración, posteriormente subiría Omar al poder, este sería el que lograría grandes victorias contra los ejércitos bizantinos y sasánidas con ello organizando el califato, su asesinato harías que se pasara al tercer califa Uthman, el cual empezó a dar puestos a su familia y al final sería asesinado pero su gran logro fue la creación del Corán tal y como lo conocemos. Ali sería el cuarto califa e iniciaría una batalla militar en Basora en el 656 contra una de las esposas de Mahoma, pero finalmente en el 661 sería asesinado.
Abrían 20 años de guerra por el poder del corazón islámico, marcando el inicio del califato omeya, Damasco sería la nueva sede del poder, y se continuaría mucho de las medidas económicas y políticas de los pueblos conquistados de Persia y el imperio bizantino. Los omeyas también debieron enfrentar varias rebeliones chiitas en la ciudad de sagradas las cual sofocaría, es en esta época que surgen los imanes para el islam chiita y con ello las profecías de la llegada de alguien que dirigiría la Comunidad de islámica
los omeyas estuvieron centrados más en la conquista que en los ámbitos religioso, lo que generó mucho rechazo por parte de la vertiente chiita, con el tiempo en el mundo musulmán se impondría al árabe como lengua administrativa y se empezaron a acuñar monedas propias de este mundo, posteriormente hacia el 750 los abasíes tomarían el control del mundo musulmán con el apoyo de una rebelión chiíta en Afganistán, esta nueva dinastía estaría más centrada en el poder, quitándole mucha influencia a los árabes y ando sola más a los persas en el ámbito administrativo y en lo militar hacia los turcos, Bagdad es la prueba de una sociedad musulmana más cosmopolita, sin embargo, con el tiempo los turcos obtendrían mayor poder en Bagdad, y el gran imperio musulmán empezaría a fragmentarse con la creación de gobiernos provinciales musulmanes.
Los chiitas tendrían un auge al tener el poder en el norte de África bajo un líder que convirtió a varios bereberes al islam y con ello se hace el norte de África y la poderosa Egipto, se crea en El Cairo una de las universidades islámicas más importantes, durante el mandato chi en Egipto hay tolerancia y solo se hacen algunos cambios en los tribunales siguiendo la doctrina de esta vertiente, con el tiempo perderían el poder ante la dinastía ayubí, y los pocos chiíes sobrevivirían en las montañas. En el mundo árabe una rebelión liderada por esclavos africanos en el 869 hizo que muchos rebeldes chiíes se asentaron en el oriente de la península arábica. En el mundo iraní los chiíes se harían con el poder de Irán a manos de los emires buyies, los cuales estaban orgullosos de su etnia iraní y eran defensores de esta vertiente del islam, pero eran tolerantes cuando tomaron el poder en Bagdad, por lo que nos encontramos con todo lo anterior ante un mundo musulmán gobernado por chiíes, en el que también hay un gran periodo de esplendor cultural.
Este mundo tendría grandes cambios con la llegada primero de los turco selyucidas que conquistaron primero a los gaznávidas, conquistando luego a su paso Persia, liberando Bagdad y finalmente llegando a anatolia donde empezarían a expandir el islam, sus grandes aportes se centran en las construcciones, la creación de madrazas y el ser mecenas de matemáticos y poetas, posteriormente otro pueblo nómada llegaría el mundo islámico y serían los mongoles los cuales destruirían Bagdad aunque posteriormente este pueblo se convertiría al islam creando una época dorada para la cultura islámica y combinando varios elementos, persas, turcos y mongolas, la última interrupción sería por parte de tamerlán, el cual atacaría por igual tanto sunitas como a chiitas, pese al periodo de instrucción esta también fue una época de gran creatividad artística.
el mundo islámico tendría su esplendor nuevamente con el imperio otomano gracias a su gran poder en el uso de la pólvora, tendrían un gran rival en el mundo iraní por parte del imperio safávida a manos de Ismail, el cual era un chica muy de devoto, el choque entre estas dos potencias se llevaría a cabo por una revuelta chi en el imperio otomano en el 1511, es bajo este pretexto que el sultán Selim lleva a cabo una conquista hacia el territorio persa para evitar futuras revueltas de la cual saldría triunfando al saquear la capital Tabriz, Con ello se crean las fronteras entre suníes y chiitas, pese a estar rota para el mundo persa esto no haría nada más que reforzar está vertiente religiosa en la actualidad, en el mundo iraní también es gracias a los safávida es que se patrocinan a los intelectuales chiíes.
los safaris tendrían su esplendor con el sha Abbas, el cual modernizará el Ejército y expandirá más este imperio, luego de este avión época de crisis que solo sería salvada bajo Nadir Shah, alguien bastante tolerante y que pondría fin a la guerra civil entre sunitas y chiíes. En el mundo árabe surgirían en la península arábica los orígenes del fundamentalismo islámico, en el que se establece una fuerza en el mundo musulmán la cual es la de los Saudí wahabí.
El nuevo invasor del mundo musulmán serían las potencias coloniales europeas. Irán estaría encerrada entre 2 grandes potencias las cual serán Gran Bretaña y Rusia, haciendo De Irán una monarquía absoluta donde se llevarían a cabo revueltas contra el sha a principio del siglo XX, el nuevo gobierno militar llevaría a cabo un programa de modernización algo que también está ocurriendo a principios de ese siglo en Turquía y Arabia Saudita, el problema es que para 1941 se llevaría a cabo otro golpe de Estado en Irán debido a la cercanía que tenía este país con la Alemania nazi, para 1951 un primer ministro iraní de tendencia socialista sería derrocado en 1953 con apoyo de las potencias occidentales, este nuevo gobierno sería muy rechazado por la élite chi.
En Arabia Saudita se estaba llevando a cabo la Fundación del reino que conocemos en día el cual se expandirá, pero llevaría a cabo la destrucción de varios elementos modernos de los peregrinos que van hacia la meca como los automóviles, el acontecimiento más importante sería el acercamiento de Arabia Saudita con EEUU gracias a su riqueza petrolera. Turquía Mientras tanto luego de la Primera Guerra mundial debió de luchar por su independencia y crear una nueva República la cual sería una mucho más secular pero que tendría aún el problema de la minoría kurda en su territorio, lo más importante de estos nuevos estados musulmanes es que no buscaban conquistar a otros.
En 1979 se llevan a cabo acontecimientos muy importantes para el mundo musulmán. El primero de estos es la revolución que se llevó a cabo en Irán donde se derrocó al régimen autoritario y se creó una República islámica a manos del ayatolá, la guerra de Irán contra Irak solo hizo que se uniera más a la población en torno al nuevo gobierno islámico, el nuevo régimen era uno muy chii y donde el Ejército era muy importante para estos, en Irán el tema más importante en la actualidad es la cuestión nuclear y como es vista a ojos de Estados Unidos como un enemigo.
En Arabia Saudita en ese año también se llevó a cabo una revolución desde la meca para derrocar a la dinastía Saudí, esto hizo que se alentará muchos chiíes querían en el mundo árabe oriental, con el aplastamiento esta revuelta se volvió a las ideas islámicas tradicionales, posterior a esto Arabia Saudita apoyó mucho la resistencia afgana en contra de la Unión Soviética y en los últimos años se han llevado a cabo reformas sociales, económicas y fiscales en Arabia Saudita.
en Afganistán se lleva a cabo una invasión por parte de los comunistas, donde fracasaron debido al apoyo que tenían los rebeldes del mundo occidental y Arabia Saudita, estoy llegó posteriormente a una guerra civil y a la subida del poder de los talibanes los cuales invocan una yihad, con los atentados del 11 de septiembre Estados Unidos invadió Afganistán para luego retirarse y que los talibanes volvieran al poder demostrando lo difícil que es gobernar Afganistán.
Turquía duró por mucho tiempo en una lucha entre ideas de izquierda y de derecha, con el golpe de Estado que se llevó a cabo en este país se editó una guerra civil donde se vivió un ascenso económico De Turquía, el problema es que luego vino una crisis económica mostrando una gran decepción hacia el sistema económico capitalista por lo que al final El País volvería a sus valores islámicos, hoteles acontecimientos más importantes de Turquía fue la llegada al poder de Erdogan y con ello se refuerzan más las ideas islámicas, pese a ser una democracia a la oposición se le ha quitado mucho poder, ya sería en el 2016 que fracasó un golpe de Estado.
En Siria, los occidentales impidieron una democracia en donde todas las religiones estudiar, la idea es de país era que se creara una gran Siria donde estuvieran todos aglutinados, pero los franceses que estaban interviniendo este país fracasaron, posteriormente El País se centraría en el aspecto militar para hacer frente a Israel, El País se radicalizará más tras el fracaso en su participación en la guerra de los 6 días, luego intervendrán en la guerra civil del Líbano y el actual mandatario sirio Assad, impondría un régimen de represión frente a las protestas sirias en las que el gobierno no impulsó las reformas que se requería donde se tuvo que hacer frente también a isis.
El País de Irak cuenta con una mayoría chií, llevó a cabo una invasión hacia irán para tener mayor control sobre territorios petroleros aunque con el coste de aumentar su población chií, luego del fracaso esta invasión el régimen de Sadam Husein debió mantener la Unión del país y conseguir recursos que había agotado en la guerra invadiendo El País de Kuwait, lo que resultaría en la intervención De Estados Unidos, este nuevamente invadiría Irak sin un objetivo claro donde al final quedaría un gobierno más cercano hacia Irán, el surgimiento de ISIS fue un resultado de la invasión estadounidense ya que muchos integrantes de este grupo terrorista venían del aparato militar de Irak.
Yemen se encuentra fracturada por una guerra civil entre el norte y el sur, el sur es apoyado por parte de Arabia Saudita el cual busca impedir un gobierno chiíta al sur de su territorio, en el norte hay milicias apoyadas por Irán que son principalmente chiitas, pese a que este país tuvo una Unión en la década de los 90 la tensión entre ambos siempre se mantuvo, principalmente por los regímenes militares.
Egipto se ve como una nación que lidera el islam sunita, Desde la llegada al poder de Nasser, este se mostró como una tercera vía en la guerra fría centrada en los valores islámicos, luego este conflicto Egipto ahora depende de Estados Unidos y Arabia Saudita, pese a las elecciones libres en Egipto luego de la primavera árabe sigue siendo un gobierno muy autocrático donde el Ejército tiene gran poder y es principalmente sunita, Israel fue el actor que más desestabilizó me oriente a causa de sus guerras contra los países musulmanes lo que llevó a hacer un estado que dependía De Estados Unidos y a centrarse en los aspectos militares, sobre la potencia norteamericana esto también tiene gran influencia en Medio Oriente por medio de Arabia Saudita e Israel.
El país de Qatar es uno muy rico pero que se encuentra en constante conflicto con Arabia Saudita puesto que esta nación cuenta con su propia diplomacia, estos han financiado algunos grupos terroristas y cuentan con un medio de comunicación muy reconocido el cual sirve para sus intereses, el problema es que esta nación sigue siendo una autocracia y usa la diplomacia para sobrevivir y limpiar su imagen como se vio en la Copa Mundial del 2022.
Otros países islámicos importantes son Pakistán, el cual es un gran aliado de Arabia Saudita puesto que cuenta con gran capital humano y muchos recursos militares, en este país también hay regiones con población chiquita la cual también ha sido oprimida, el momento más importante para Pakistán fue cuando empezaron a apoyar a los rebeldes afganos contra la invasión soviética, aunque eso llevaría luego a la creación de grupos terroristas. En el Cáucaso Rusia desde su época de imperio desalojó a muchos musulmanes, a finales del siglo XX se llevaron a cabo guerras en Chechenia lo que llevó a muchos habitantes a enlistarse en el grupo terrorista ISIS lo que condujo a que Rusia interviniera más en Medio Oriente. Azerbaiyán es un país muy rico en petróleo, es étnicamente turca, con influencias de la cultura iraní y una población mayoritariamente chiíta.
En las últimas páginas del libro tenemos la entrada de China como el nuevo actor más importante del Medio Oriente debido a su dependencia del petróleo para aumentar su influencia en esta región se creó el proyecto de la franja y la ruta, la ventaja que tiene este país frente a Estados Unidos es que no tiene enemigos en esta zona cosa que no pasó en Estados Unidos al apoyar mucho a Israel, tenemos un epílogo sobre el conflicto que se está llevando actualmente en Gaza y que supone una gran pérdida humana.
El autor empieza su introducción, mencionando que muchas guerras civiles en Medio Oriente se debieron a temas religiosos por lo que es muy común los conflictos dentro del mundo musulmán lo que ha resultado en atentados terroristas y desplazamientos, las diferencias no solo se a cuestiones internas del islam, sino por motivos étnicos que la lengua, cada país tiene su propia historia y pasado en el mundo islámico.
Respecto a las dos principales vertientes del islam es importante destacar que ambos veneran a Mahoma, este último siendo un comerciante entre Yemen en las ciudades comerciales de Siria, ambas también estudian y aceptan el Corán, el cisma se debe más a quien debía liderar a la comunidad, partiendo de aquí es que se escribe en algunos aspectos cruciales de la vida del profeta, donde se destaca la imagen de pobreza que proyecta, los árabes también se inspiraron de las Cortes bizantinas y persas aunque Mahoma despreciaba mucho la suntuosidad, este también tenía amigos que le llevaban información y lideraban el Ejército pero hay que tener presente que no había una clara jerarquía en la comunidad naciente del islam, por los que Mahoma solamente es un líder humilde que será este aspecto muy importante a futuro de líderes.
El segundo capítulo es sobre la huida de Mahoma hacia Medina, aquí se menciona un clan muy importante para los sunitas los cuales son los Quraysh, esto se debe a que para los sunitas el liderazgo musulmán debería provenir dentro de esta tribu, para los chiitas, por el contrario, se centran más en la familia de Mahoma. es en Medina que se lleva a cabo una Constitución donde se habla sobre la libertad religioso a causa de que en este lugar habían judíos, en esas primeras etapas del islam había poco interés en lo administrativo y político por parte del profeta, lo fundamental será siempre el código moral sobre los aspectos políticos, con el establecimiento de Mahoma en Medina empiezan los ataques hacia las caravanas con ello se presiona a la meca y se incentiva el reclutamiento del Ejército para obtener botín de estas caravanas, con esto también se podrían aliar con tribus cercanas a la meca y con ello aislar a esta ciudad.
Un aspecto importante en el sistema de las vertientes del islam es entre la esposa de Mahoma más venerada por los sunitas Aisha y la hija del profeta Fátima, última siendo más importante para los chiitas, todo esto a causa de que Mahoma no dejó un hijo varón como sucesor. El tío del profeta Ali, es importante para las dos vertientes del islam, este estuvo muy cerca al profeta y ya para el año 628 este regresaría a la meca dando sus últimas revelaciones, la cuestión era sobre quién debía ser el sucesor de él, para los chiitas debe hacer allí puesto que podía ser un líder religioso, militar y político.
con la muerte del profeta se llevó a cabo una reunión para elegir al primer califa el cual fue escogido entre los clanes de las tribus de Quraysh, al final se escogió al primer califa ya esta elección se hizo con las estructuras existentes de la sociedad árabe, la ausencia de alguien en estas reuniones se debió a que estaba velando el cuerpo del profeta, el tema del primer califa es tema de debate ya que algunos defienden que esta acción se hizo para evitar una guerra civil al tener la comunidad un solo líder, pese a todo es innegable que los dos primeros califas eran grandes líderes políticos.
Con los dos anteriores califas y los dos siguientes es que se inicia la época de los califas bien guiados, el primer califa Abu Bakr, tuvo que aplastar para revueltas en la península arábica y conquistó varias regiones al este de Arabia, empezaron las pequeñas incursiones en el mundo persa y bizantino contando el Ejército árabe con grandes comandantes. Mientras esto pasaba, para los chitas, este es un período de sufrimiento tanto para Ali como para Fátima, el primero se centró más en la enseñanza y la oración, posteriormente subiría Omar al poder, este sería el que lograría grandes victorias contra los ejércitos bizantinos y sasánidas con ello organizando el califato, su asesinato harías que se pasara al tercer califa Uthman, el cual empezó a dar puestos a su familia y al final sería asesinado pero su gran logro fue la creación del Corán tal y como lo conocemos. Ali sería el cuarto califa e iniciaría una batalla militar en Basora en el 656 contra una de las esposas de Mahoma, pero finalmente en el 661 sería asesinado.
Abrían 20 años de guerra por el poder del corazón islámico, marcando el inicio del califato omeya, Damasco sería la nueva sede del poder, y se continuaría mucho de las medidas económicas y políticas de los pueblos conquistados de Persia y el imperio bizantino. Los omeyas también debieron enfrentar varias rebeliones chiitas en la ciudad de sagradas las cual sofocaría, es en esta época que surgen los imanes para el islam chiita y con ello las profecías de la llegada de alguien que dirigiría la Comunidad de islámica
los omeyas estuvieron centrados más en la conquista que en los ámbitos religioso, lo que generó mucho rechazo por parte de la vertiente chiita, con el tiempo en el mundo musulmán se impondría al árabe como lengua administrativa y se empezaron a acuñar monedas propias de este mundo, posteriormente hacia el 750 los abasíes tomarían el control del mundo musulmán con el apoyo de una rebelión chiíta en Afganistán, esta nueva dinastía estaría más centrada en el poder, quitándole mucha influencia a los árabes y ando sola más a los persas en el ámbito administrativo y en lo militar hacia los turcos, Bagdad es la prueba de una sociedad musulmana más cosmopolita, sin embargo, con el tiempo los turcos obtendrían mayor poder en Bagdad, y el gran imperio musulmán empezaría a fragmentarse con la creación de gobiernos provinciales musulmanes.
Los chiitas tendrían un auge al tener el poder en el norte de África bajo un líder que convirtió a varios bereberes al islam y con ello se hace el norte de África y la poderosa Egipto, se crea en El Cairo una de las universidades islámicas más importantes, durante el mandato chi en Egipto hay tolerancia y solo se hacen algunos cambios en los tribunales siguiendo la doctrina de esta vertiente, con el tiempo perderían el poder ante la dinastía ayubí, y los pocos chiíes sobrevivirían en las montañas. En el mundo árabe una rebelión liderada por esclavos africanos en el 869 hizo que muchos rebeldes chiíes se asentaron en el oriente de la península arábica. En el mundo iraní los chiíes se harían con el poder de Irán a manos de los emires buyies, los cuales estaban orgullosos de su etnia iraní y eran defensores de esta vertiente del islam, pero eran tolerantes cuando tomaron el poder en Bagdad, por lo que nos encontramos con todo lo anterior ante un mundo musulmán gobernado por chiíes, en el que también hay un gran periodo de esplendor cultural.
Este mundo tendría grandes cambios con la llegada primero de los turco selyucidas que conquistaron primero a los gaznávidas, conquistando luego a su paso Persia, liberando Bagdad y finalmente llegando a anatolia donde empezarían a expandir el islam, sus grandes aportes se centran en las construcciones, la creación de madrazas y el ser mecenas de matemáticos y poetas, posteriormente otro pueblo nómada llegaría el mundo islámico y serían los mongoles los cuales destruirían Bagdad aunque posteriormente este pueblo se convertiría al islam creando una época dorada para la cultura islámica y combinando varios elementos, persas, turcos y mongolas, la última interrupción sería por parte de tamerlán, el cual atacaría por igual tanto sunitas como a chiitas, pese al periodo de instrucción esta también fue una época de gran creatividad artística.
el mundo islámico tendría su esplendor nuevamente con el imperio otomano gracias a su gran poder en el uso de la pólvora, tendrían un gran rival en el mundo iraní por parte del imperio safávida a manos de Ismail, el cual era un chica muy de devoto, el choque entre estas dos potencias se llevaría a cabo por una revuelta chi en el imperio otomano en el 1511, es bajo este pretexto que el sultán Selim lleva a cabo una conquista hacia el territorio persa para evitar futuras revueltas de la cual saldría triunfando al saquear la capital Tabriz, Con ello se crean las fronteras entre suníes y chiitas, pese a estar rota para el mundo persa esto no haría nada más que reforzar está vertiente religiosa en la actualidad, en el mundo iraní también es gracias a los safávida es que se patrocinan a los intelectuales chiíes.
los safaris tendrían su esplendor con el sha Abbas, el cual modernizará el Ejército y expandirá más este imperio, luego de este avión época de crisis que solo sería salvada bajo Nadir Shah, alguien bastante tolerante y que pondría fin a la guerra civil entre sunitas y chiíes. En el mundo árabe surgirían en la península arábica los orígenes del fundamentalismo islámico, en el que se establece una fuerza en el mundo musulmán la cual es la de los Saudí wahabí.
El nuevo invasor del mundo musulmán serían las potencias coloniales europeas. Irán estaría encerrada entre 2 grandes potencias las cual serán Gran Bretaña y Rusia, haciendo De Irán una monarquía absoluta donde se llevarían a cabo revueltas contra el sha a principio del siglo XX, el nuevo gobierno militar llevaría a cabo un programa de modernización algo que también está ocurriendo a principios de ese siglo en Turquía y Arabia Saudita, el problema es que para 1941 se llevaría a cabo otro golpe de Estado en Irán debido a la cercanía que tenía este país con la Alemania nazi, para 1951 un primer ministro iraní de tendencia socialista sería derrocado en 1953 con apoyo de las potencias occidentales, este nuevo gobierno sería muy rechazado por la élite chi.
En Arabia Saudita se estaba llevando a cabo la Fundación del reino que conocemos en día el cual se expandirá, pero llevaría a cabo la destrucción de varios elementos modernos de los peregrinos que van hacia la meca como los automóviles, el acontecimiento más importante sería el acercamiento de Arabia Saudita con EEUU gracias a su riqueza petrolera. Turquía Mientras tanto luego de la Primera Guerra mundial debió de luchar por su independencia y crear una nueva República la cual sería una mucho más secular pero que tendría aún el problema de la minoría kurda en su territorio, lo más importante de estos nuevos estados musulmanes es que no buscaban conquistar a otros.
En 1979 se llevan a cabo acontecimientos muy importantes para el mundo musulmán. El primero de estos es la revolución que se llevó a cabo en Irán donde se derrocó al régimen autoritario y se creó una República islámica a manos del ayatolá, la guerra de Irán contra Irak solo hizo que se uniera más a la población en torno al nuevo gobierno islámico, el nuevo régimen era uno muy chii y donde el Ejército era muy importante para estos, en Irán el tema más importante en la actualidad es la cuestión nuclear y como es vista a ojos de Estados Unidos como un enemigo.
En Arabia Saudita en ese año también se llevó a cabo una revolución desde la meca para derrocar a la dinastía Saudí, esto hizo que se alentará muchos chiíes querían en el mundo árabe oriental, con el aplastamiento esta revuelta se volvió a las ideas islámicas tradicionales, posterior a esto Arabia Saudita apoyó mucho la resistencia afgana en contra de la Unión Soviética y en los últimos años se han llevado a cabo reformas sociales, económicas y fiscales en Arabia Saudita.
en Afganistán se lleva a cabo una invasión por parte de los comunistas, donde fracasaron debido al apoyo que tenían los rebeldes del mundo occidental y Arabia Saudita, estoy llegó posteriormente a una guerra civil y a la subida del poder de los talibanes los cuales invocan una yihad, con los atentados del 11 de septiembre Estados Unidos invadió Afganistán para luego retirarse y que los talibanes volvieran al poder demostrando lo difícil que es gobernar Afganistán.
Turquía duró por mucho tiempo en una lucha entre ideas de izquierda y de derecha, con el golpe de Estado que se llevó a cabo en este país se editó una guerra civil donde se vivió un ascenso económico De Turquía, el problema es que luego vino una crisis económica mostrando una gran decepción hacia el sistema económico capitalista por lo que al final El País volvería a sus valores islámicos, hoteles acontecimientos más importantes de Turquía fue la llegada al poder de Erdogan y con ello se refuerzan más las ideas islámicas, pese a ser una democracia a la oposición se le ha quitado mucho poder, ya sería en el 2016 que fracasó un golpe de Estado.
En Siria, los occidentales impidieron una democracia en donde todas las religiones estudiar, la idea es de país era que se creara una gran Siria donde estuvieran todos aglutinados, pero los franceses que estaban interviniendo este país fracasaron, posteriormente El País se centraría en el aspecto militar para hacer frente a Israel, El País se radicalizará más tras el fracaso en su participación en la guerra de los 6 días, luego intervendrán en la guerra civil del Líbano y el actual mandatario sirio Assad, impondría un régimen de represión frente a las protestas sirias en las que el gobierno no impulsó las reformas que se requería donde se tuvo que hacer frente también a isis.
El País de Irak cuenta con una mayoría chií, llevó a cabo una invasión hacia irán para tener mayor control sobre territorios petroleros aunque con el coste de aumentar su población chií, luego del fracaso esta invasión el régimen de Sadam Husein debió mantener la Unión del país y conseguir recursos que había agotado en la guerra invadiendo El País de Kuwait, lo que resultaría en la intervención De Estados Unidos, este nuevamente invadiría Irak sin un objetivo claro donde al final quedaría un gobierno más cercano hacia Irán, el surgimiento de ISIS fue un resultado de la invasión estadounidense ya que muchos integrantes de este grupo terrorista venían del aparato militar de Irak.
Yemen se encuentra fracturada por una guerra civil entre el norte y el sur, el sur es apoyado por parte de Arabia Saudita el cual busca impedir un gobierno chiíta al sur de su territorio, en el norte hay milicias apoyadas por Irán que son principalmente chiitas, pese a que este país tuvo una Unión en la década de los 90 la tensión entre ambos siempre se mantuvo, principalmente por los regímenes militares.
Egipto se ve como una nación que lidera el islam sunita, Desde la llegada al poder de Nasser, este se mostró como una tercera vía en la guerra fría centrada en los valores islámicos, luego este conflicto Egipto ahora depende de Estados Unidos y Arabia Saudita, pese a las elecciones libres en Egipto luego de la primavera árabe sigue siendo un gobierno muy autocrático donde el Ejército tiene gran poder y es principalmente sunita, Israel fue el actor que más desestabilizó me oriente a causa de sus guerras contra los países musulmanes lo que llevó a hacer un estado que dependía De Estados Unidos y a centrarse en los aspectos militares, sobre la potencia norteamericana esto también tiene gran influencia en Medio Oriente por medio de Arabia Saudita e Israel.
El país de Qatar es uno muy rico pero que se encuentra en constante conflicto con Arabia Saudita puesto que esta nación cuenta con su propia diplomacia, estos han financiado algunos grupos terroristas y cuentan con un medio de comunicación muy reconocido el cual sirve para sus intereses, el problema es que esta nación sigue siendo una autocracia y usa la diplomacia para sobrevivir y limpiar su imagen como se vio en la Copa Mundial del 2022.
Otros países islámicos importantes son Pakistán, el cual es un gran aliado de Arabia Saudita puesto que cuenta con gran capital humano y muchos recursos militares, en este país también hay regiones con población chiquita la cual también ha sido oprimida, el momento más importante para Pakistán fue cuando empezaron a apoyar a los rebeldes afganos contra la invasión soviética, aunque eso llevaría luego a la creación de grupos terroristas. En el Cáucaso Rusia desde su época de imperio desalojó a muchos musulmanes, a finales del siglo XX se llevaron a cabo guerras en Chechenia lo que llevó a muchos habitantes a enlistarse en el grupo terrorista ISIS lo que condujo a que Rusia interviniera más en Medio Oriente. Azerbaiyán es un país muy rico en petróleo, es étnicamente turca, con influencias de la cultura iraní y una población mayoritariamente chiíta.
En las últimas páginas del libro tenemos la entrada de China como el nuevo actor más importante del Medio Oriente debido a su dependencia del petróleo para aumentar su influencia en esta región se creó el proyecto de la franja y la ruta, la ventaja que tiene este país frente a Estados Unidos es que no tiene enemigos en esta zona cosa que no pasó en Estados Unidos al apoyar mucho a Israel, tenemos un epílogo sobre el conflicto que se está llevando actualmente en Gaza y que supone una gran pérdida humana.
April 22, 2024
The House Divided does not cover the Sunni-Shia split and ideologies in as much detail as I would have liked. Vast tracts of time, key personalities and watershed events are glossed over -- this may be understandable if the goal was to rapidly rush into an explanation for how the modern Middle East is constructed on the back of the Sunni-Shia schism. Unfortunately a lack of in-depth treatment of the schism only hinders the understanding of how we arrived at the modern situation. The entire second half of the book feels contrived - almost as if a Shia-Sunni explanation is being forced upon us where instead colonialism would be an adequate explanation for most of the current muslim polity.
The first half of the book would have been better served by spending more time on developing the ideologies - for eg the schools of Sunni thought & the internal competition between them, the various branches of Shii'ism, the genealogies of the Imams of the those branches, the concept of Occultation, the interactions between the Fatimids and the Abbasids (& successor states - Buyids come to mind), fully developing out the Safavids and so on.
The first half of the book would have been better served by spending more time on developing the ideologies - for eg the schools of Sunni thought & the internal competition between them, the various branches of Shii'ism, the genealogies of the Imams of the those branches, the concept of Occultation, the interactions between the Fatimids and the Abbasids (& successor states - Buyids come to mind), fully developing out the Safavids and so on.
January 21, 2025
First half great, second half bit surface level
August 20, 2024
An informative book that has been written with a huge amount of care, it could be so easy for the author to get caught up in the emotions of this collection of militant countries but Rogerson does a great job of being impartial…with a couple of deserving swipes at President Bush and his war with Iraq, I could almost sense the raised eyebrow as he commented on the reasoning behind that war. You may think this is a heavy book, the subject matter is huge and Rogerson admits in the acknowledgements that he initially went over by a quarter of a million words, but with a mix of a great teacher and a pupil with barely any knowledge I was entranced with this epic history.
The first part of the book starts with a lesson about the Prophet Muhammad, how he rose to prominence and the fallout of his death, just understanding this moment gave me a much better understanding of the Middle East. Rogerson then starts to focus on each country, how it was formed, it’s changing alliances and enemies, it’s leaders and what they achieved, how the US/Russia/Britain manipulated and destroyed, concluding with the current tensions the countries are facing.
There is a lot to shock the reader if you were not aware of the history, so many brutal deaths and yet now and then a leader rises that only wants the best for his people and for a while there is a brief moment of hope. As the book progressed there were things I knew about…or at least I thought I knew, you only get so much of the story from the news, it is well worth reading this just to fill in those blanks.
This was one of the most comprehensive history books I’ve read and also one of the most accessible, the perfect balance…I just wish I was able to retain more information, so many names here that deserve to be remembered. A super important book that needs to be read by the masses to give them a better understanding of the world.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2024...
The first part of the book starts with a lesson about the Prophet Muhammad, how he rose to prominence and the fallout of his death, just understanding this moment gave me a much better understanding of the Middle East. Rogerson then starts to focus on each country, how it was formed, it’s changing alliances and enemies, it’s leaders and what they achieved, how the US/Russia/Britain manipulated and destroyed, concluding with the current tensions the countries are facing.
There is a lot to shock the reader if you were not aware of the history, so many brutal deaths and yet now and then a leader rises that only wants the best for his people and for a while there is a brief moment of hope. As the book progressed there were things I knew about…or at least I thought I knew, you only get so much of the story from the news, it is well worth reading this just to fill in those blanks.
This was one of the most comprehensive history books I’ve read and also one of the most accessible, the perfect balance…I just wish I was able to retain more information, so many names here that deserve to be remembered. A super important book that needs to be read by the masses to give them a better understanding of the world.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2024...
March 30, 2024
A succinct piece of scholarship. Only read the first two parts of the book for now. The latter half concerns topics of contemporary geopolitics, which I don’t want to delve into yet. It was the first half of the title that made me want to read the book—and to review that, well, for clarity of language, the academic rigour, and the mostly unbiased perspective on the events, I give it a solid 5/5. I liked the work. The early schism of Islam is of much contention and controversy, and that’s probably why it should be of much interest. For most adherents of each tradition, it is difficult to step out of one’s own narrative to understand the narrative of the other tradition because, for the most part, maybe I’m just speculating, one has built his framework of reality based on superficial notions of what constitutes and what is confined by religion. For me, having more interest in the esoteric side of religion/s, I tend not to view things in terms of binaries. Such a view, of course, is not adhered to by each of the traditions in their orthodox stances towards each other; however, I tend to adhere to the stance of the Sufiyya on the early schism for the most part: Imam Ali is the foremost figure of knowledge and spiritual authority after the prophet (peace be upon him), and the first three caliphs are authentic authorities over the Muslim ummah for the time they served in the example of the prophet. Yet somewhere down the line, upholding this view seems paradoxical due to some controversial events that are recorded both in Sunni and Shi'a texts of history. For now, what I can understand is that there is a deep esoteric aspect to the early strife within the Islamic community. Sure, things can be pointed at figures, and yes, against some, the accusations won’t be wrong, but there lies a deep reason for such strife when it concerns the most pious of the early community. There are, of course, various things that I am not acquainted with, especially that of the Shi'a tradition, so I can't make any conclusive remark, only a tentative one.
May 4, 2025
This one is difficult to review.
Part of the negatives is that it’s very top level on the schism between Shia and Sunni, so it felt unsatisfactory there. It also seems to gloss over certain events and people that could have been given more time and attention, whereas other less important things were given more detail. Finally, it’s clear to see some of Rigerson’s loyalties, which significantly impacts the portrayal of some of the events.
However, this book covers a ton of ground. It sometimes feels disjointed and overwhelming - but I’m not sure there’s any other way it could feel covering so many interlocked but distinct events. It helps greatly in showing the complexity of the people and region.
Part of the negatives is that it’s very top level on the schism between Shia and Sunni, so it felt unsatisfactory there. It also seems to gloss over certain events and people that could have been given more time and attention, whereas other less important things were given more detail. Finally, it’s clear to see some of Rigerson’s loyalties, which significantly impacts the portrayal of some of the events.
However, this book covers a ton of ground. It sometimes feels disjointed and overwhelming - but I’m not sure there’s any other way it could feel covering so many interlocked but distinct events. It helps greatly in showing the complexity of the people and region.
March 21, 2025
A really interesting book. First third relates a general history of Islam, cultural practices and a run through of Islamic states in the medieval period. The majority of the book concerns the modern history and politics of the Middle East. The whole book is extremely readable and written with rare empathy, especially in a moment when too many wish to make others of an entire religion. Overall I think the book could have gone into a little more detail, particularly in the more ancient history.
Strong recommend for those who want to understand more about the modern Middle East.
Strong recommend for those who want to understand more about the modern Middle East.
September 11, 2025
Hardcover. I quite liked this book. Barnaby is not an academic historian and so its a bit unique - a bit of a history as reflected by interviewing locals while traveling. He did a good job for me synthesizing a subject I know some about but still very much a novice. There were also a few typos that I assume will be fixed in later versions and he clearly has some biases, but overall readable and helpful.
December 1, 2024
This is a book that is hard to review. I picked it up because islamic history is a blindspot for me and I want to learn more, and the geopolitical situation in the region, in all it's complexity, also piques my interest. So this should be the perfect book. The first parts of the book partly delivers. Here Rogerson details the origin of the shia and sunni divide. But you're left with a sense that you are missing something, that you're not getting the whole picture. For example, how do the tales of martyrdom actually affect the culture of shia nations? Or, when this divide really cement culturally - when and how was someone borna a shia or sunni? It feels okay because this book is an introduction, and the latter part will be spent detailing how the history affects the present day. Except it doesn't. The last 150 pages or so is spent describing the history of Yemen, Egypt, Qatar among many others (in descending relevance). This is all very interesting and I learned a lot. But it feels disjointed, rushed and leaves the reader with questions. How divided is the house really?
Another unfortunate fact, that effect the sense if this being rushed, is the many grammar and editorial mistakes in this book. After reading the word "toyalist" twice in one page I had to google it before realizing it was a spelling mistake (toyalist = royalist). This is just one of many examples.
All in all, this was a book I don't regret reading, but that could've been a lot more enjoyable had there been a clearer focus. Little time is actually spent on how the early history of islam effect present day middle east. Also, im sure Rogerson has spent time in this area, as a travel writer, which doesn't shine through at all, which is a shame.
Another unfortunate fact, that effect the sense if this being rushed, is the many grammar and editorial mistakes in this book. After reading the word "toyalist" twice in one page I had to google it before realizing it was a spelling mistake (toyalist = royalist). This is just one of many examples.
All in all, this was a book I don't regret reading, but that could've been a lot more enjoyable had there been a clearer focus. Little time is actually spent on how the early history of islam effect present day middle east. Also, im sure Rogerson has spent time in this area, as a travel writer, which doesn't shine through at all, which is a shame.
February 22, 2024
I don't think anyone needs to be reminded that Islam has predominantly been in the news for over 20 years now. With the two Gulf Wars and other actions that have involved Western forces, the views of the followers of this religion have, largely, been directed by mainstream news and social media. However, is what we have witnessed on our screens and in newspapers a realistic description of not just the Islamic religion, but those who follow it? In The House Divided: Sunni, Shia and the Making of the Middle East, Barnaby Rogerson takes us through the history of this fascinating religion and provides an indispensable insight into its followers who have not just made history but helped shape the world in which we live.
Although the beginnings of Islam are filled with as much mystery as they are the spirit of adventure, its origins in Medina are of some of the humblest origins in Abrahamic religions, for its founder, the Prophet, Muhammad was, allegedly, unable to read or write, which left his (written) teachings in the realms of the miraculous. This, however, was also to create a long lasting issue as to who was to succeed him as ruler, as he left no written instruction.
In The House Divided this matter becomes central to the text, and how 'house' of Islam not only became divided throughout the centuries but spread as far as the reaches of Spain in the heights of the Muslim Empire spreading its message, splitting not only into the Sunni and Shia factions, but also the Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia, whose bloodthirsty and monetary legacies are the stuff of legend themselves, but remain one of the most influential states in the world, and to the Turkish Empire which embraced a more Latin style text and more Western attitudes. The House Divided is not just a history of a singular religion, but a history of the past 1500 years that have shaped our species.
Yet, The House Divided is not just a history of Islam, it tells the story of how the Middle East, as we know it was formed, maintained and how it came to be how we know it today, with heroes and villains not just in Islam itself, but a highly-focused exploration into those who aimed to profit from disruption (and creating disruption) in the area, namely countries such as Great Britain and the USA, whose aim for dominance over the oil markets have made millionaires out of some and destitute out od others. This is a story of great extremes.
In The House Divided: Sunni, Shia and the Making of the Middle East, Barnaby Rogerson has not just created a vital and detailed history of the Middle East, but an account of how people have profited out of others in some of the most exploited regions on this planet. If The House Divided excels in great narrative on an invigorating subject it triumphs in its ability to focus our attention on our failings as a species and celebrates our abilities to join and succeed at the harshest of times. A must read!
Although the beginnings of Islam are filled with as much mystery as they are the spirit of adventure, its origins in Medina are of some of the humblest origins in Abrahamic religions, for its founder, the Prophet, Muhammad was, allegedly, unable to read or write, which left his (written) teachings in the realms of the miraculous. This, however, was also to create a long lasting issue as to who was to succeed him as ruler, as he left no written instruction.
In The House Divided this matter becomes central to the text, and how 'house' of Islam not only became divided throughout the centuries but spread as far as the reaches of Spain in the heights of the Muslim Empire spreading its message, splitting not only into the Sunni and Shia factions, but also the Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia, whose bloodthirsty and monetary legacies are the stuff of legend themselves, but remain one of the most influential states in the world, and to the Turkish Empire which embraced a more Latin style text and more Western attitudes. The House Divided is not just a history of a singular religion, but a history of the past 1500 years that have shaped our species.
Yet, The House Divided is not just a history of Islam, it tells the story of how the Middle East, as we know it was formed, maintained and how it came to be how we know it today, with heroes and villains not just in Islam itself, but a highly-focused exploration into those who aimed to profit from disruption (and creating disruption) in the area, namely countries such as Great Britain and the USA, whose aim for dominance over the oil markets have made millionaires out of some and destitute out od others. This is a story of great extremes.
In The House Divided: Sunni, Shia and the Making of the Middle East, Barnaby Rogerson has not just created a vital and detailed history of the Middle East, but an account of how people have profited out of others in some of the most exploited regions on this planet. If The House Divided excels in great narrative on an invigorating subject it triumphs in its ability to focus our attention on our failings as a species and celebrates our abilities to join and succeed at the harshest of times. A must read!
April 4, 2025
These are some things I did not learn from The House Divided: What Muslims believe. What Mohammed said about anything. The difference in theology between Shia and Sunni. How the Middle East was made.
This was a disappointment, as I picked up the book hoping get insight into these subjects -- which I think was reasonable, given its subtitle. (The subtitle I read was Sunni, Shia, and the Making of the Middle East. Apparently other versions have the subtitle Sunni, Shia, and the Conflict in the Middle East.)
I did learn a little about quite a lot else. Something about Mohammed, but not anything about how he came by his beliefs, what people around him believed (Abraham was the son of an idol maker. Jesus was a Jew. What was Mohammed's faith of origin? What did the people in Arabia believe? Were they monotheists?), or what he said. I learned that the Koran is made up of his statements -- I'm not quite clear whether they were prophecies. I learned that he was a peaceful, nice man who became a great, conquering warrior because that was the only way to gain the respect of the people he was trying to convert, and also because he was canny.
I learned that the schism between Shia and Sunni started within days of Mohammed's death. The Shia (and, clearly, Rogerson) believe that Mohammed's son-in-law should have been in charge. The Sunni believe that the family of Mohammed's youngest wife rightfully took charge.
I learned either Shia or Sunni -- I'm not sure which --enjoy using beautiful mosques and memorials to Mohammed and his followers to help them focus their prayers, while the other one believes that doing so wrongly interferes with a person's direct relationship with Allah. I did not learn anything else about what any Muslim believes, or any differences in beliefs betwen Sunni and Shia.
I learned that empires I have never heard of rose, ruled for centuries, and fell, all within the space of a paragraph. (Other empires get a sentence -- Spain and Portugal, for example -- with Rogerson seeming to assume that the reader will fill in the blanks.)
I don't come away with a clear understanding of Rogerson's point of view of anything, or what he hoped to accomplish by writing this book, or who his intended audience is. He makes pronouncements about history and modern times with striking authority but not much to back it up. Once he gets into recent decades he makes statements that I know to be incorrect, which makes me question how much of what he said about anything is true.
In the last chapter he mentioned that the first draft of his book was three times as long as the final draft. That makes sense. Every chapter he wrote could have easily been a book.
At the end, I'm glad I read this survey, because it gave me a sense of the scope of Muslim history. But I'm also glad I know enough to take all the individual snippets with a grain of salt.
This was a disappointment, as I picked up the book hoping get insight into these subjects -- which I think was reasonable, given its subtitle. (The subtitle I read was Sunni, Shia, and the Making of the Middle East. Apparently other versions have the subtitle Sunni, Shia, and the Conflict in the Middle East.)
I did learn a little about quite a lot else. Something about Mohammed, but not anything about how he came by his beliefs, what people around him believed (Abraham was the son of an idol maker. Jesus was a Jew. What was Mohammed's faith of origin? What did the people in Arabia believe? Were they monotheists?), or what he said. I learned that the Koran is made up of his statements -- I'm not quite clear whether they were prophecies. I learned that he was a peaceful, nice man who became a great, conquering warrior because that was the only way to gain the respect of the people he was trying to convert, and also because he was canny.
I learned that the schism between Shia and Sunni started within days of Mohammed's death. The Shia (and, clearly, Rogerson) believe that Mohammed's son-in-law should have been in charge. The Sunni believe that the family of Mohammed's youngest wife rightfully took charge.
I learned either Shia or Sunni -- I'm not sure which --enjoy using beautiful mosques and memorials to Mohammed and his followers to help them focus their prayers, while the other one believes that doing so wrongly interferes with a person's direct relationship with Allah. I did not learn anything else about what any Muslim believes, or any differences in beliefs betwen Sunni and Shia.
I learned that empires I have never heard of rose, ruled for centuries, and fell, all within the space of a paragraph. (Other empires get a sentence -- Spain and Portugal, for example -- with Rogerson seeming to assume that the reader will fill in the blanks.)
I don't come away with a clear understanding of Rogerson's point of view of anything, or what he hoped to accomplish by writing this book, or who his intended audience is. He makes pronouncements about history and modern times with striking authority but not much to back it up. Once he gets into recent decades he makes statements that I know to be incorrect, which makes me question how much of what he said about anything is true.
In the last chapter he mentioned that the first draft of his book was three times as long as the final draft. That makes sense. Every chapter he wrote could have easily been a book.
At the end, I'm glad I read this survey, because it gave me a sense of the scope of Muslim history. But I'm also glad I know enough to take all the individual snippets with a grain of salt.
April 18, 2025
Rogerson explores the political and cultural tensions of the greater middle east in this interesting book. It's very broad - covering a region stretching from Pakistan to Egypt and to as far north as southern Russia. Rogerson begins with the development of Islam and the development of Sunni and Shia groups in the very earliest days of Islam when Muhammad died. There are lots of names and dates in this part of the book; as I read it, it made sense, now that I have finished I can't say that it still does. The split occurred over the leadership of Islam and whether that should be with Ali or with the first caliphs. In any case, different cultural traditions developed quite quickly and the adherents of these traditions came into came into conflict. As happens so often in history, people seem to dig in their heels and it matters less what the truth is or that everyone get along; what matters is that you're right, they're wrong and you win.
Rogerson briefly discusses the centuries between the birth of Islam and the modern day - as Islam first spreads, gains Iranian and Turkic converts, and then begins to recede in the face of Russian and Austrian advances. The great centuries of struggle between Sunni Ottomans and Shia Persians is told in the broadest of terms (and how this set the stage for the rise of Wahhabism - which sounds absolutely dreadful - in Saudi Arabia). The British and French and Russians show up, the Ottoman Empire collapses, and the Europeans have their way in the region as no one is really able to stop them.
Before you know it Rogerson is writing about more recent decades and the current situation. I think Rogerson clarified things for me, but the picture he paints is one of disfunction and endemic strife: the Sunni and Shia blocks in the region can be important sometimes (as in the mistrust between Saudi Arabi and Iran), except when they're not (witness Shia Iran assisting Sunni Palestine or think about Iraq invading Iran and Kuwait for territory and without regard for religious affiliation). Ethnicity seems to motivate hatred and animosity as much as does religion and always, those in power care mainly about preserving their grip on it at any cost. In all, the middle east doesn't seem so different from any other part of the world. Colonialism seems to be a part of the problem, but not the main problem here, as the region's issues are far older and deeper than British and French involvement in the region. And American, Russian and now perhaps Chinese involvement seem, similarly, to be a part of the story, but a smaller part of it than I expected. Local agendas and power blocs play a much bigger role in shaping outcomes over the long run as outsider powers lose interest.
Rogerson briefly discusses the centuries between the birth of Islam and the modern day - as Islam first spreads, gains Iranian and Turkic converts, and then begins to recede in the face of Russian and Austrian advances. The great centuries of struggle between Sunni Ottomans and Shia Persians is told in the broadest of terms (and how this set the stage for the rise of Wahhabism - which sounds absolutely dreadful - in Saudi Arabia). The British and French and Russians show up, the Ottoman Empire collapses, and the Europeans have their way in the region as no one is really able to stop them.
Before you know it Rogerson is writing about more recent decades and the current situation. I think Rogerson clarified things for me, but the picture he paints is one of disfunction and endemic strife: the Sunni and Shia blocks in the region can be important sometimes (as in the mistrust between Saudi Arabi and Iran), except when they're not (witness Shia Iran assisting Sunni Palestine or think about Iraq invading Iran and Kuwait for territory and without regard for religious affiliation). Ethnicity seems to motivate hatred and animosity as much as does religion and always, those in power care mainly about preserving their grip on it at any cost. In all, the middle east doesn't seem so different from any other part of the world. Colonialism seems to be a part of the problem, but not the main problem here, as the region's issues are far older and deeper than British and French involvement in the region. And American, Russian and now perhaps Chinese involvement seem, similarly, to be a part of the story, but a smaller part of it than I expected. Local agendas and power blocs play a much bigger role in shaping outcomes over the long run as outsider powers lose interest.
August 13, 2024
It's informative but disjointed and poorly organized. The first two-thirds is a history of Islam and the Middle East from the beginning of the religion until roughly 1979. You get a lot of in-depth coverage on the era of Muhammad and the foundation and into the early split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
Then you get to the Umayyad Caliphate and suddenly you're covered a century or more every ten pages. The pace finally slows up when you reach the 19th/20th centuries, but it's the pacing shift gave me whiplash. The main developments in that period were the rise of three power centers: a Shia Persia, a Sunni Turkey, and a Wahhabi Arabia. You get through the era of rising European power and interaction with the Middle East. In 1979, all hell breaks loose with a Shia revolution in Iran, Sunni extremists taking over the main mosque in Mecca, and the Soviets invading Afghanistan.
The last third . . I assumed it was going to be an in-depth narrative over the last 40 years. Instead, you get a summation of many different countries. These summations go way back well before 1979. They do go to the present, but - the whole thing felt weird. We're being told about periods we were already told about. The format has changed from chronological to geographical. It's like Rogerson didn't know how he wanted to organize the book so he completely reorganized it at the end.
The book weirdly skims over the Armenian Genocide, noting that Turkey went from having 2,000,000 to 70,000 due "massacre and migration" and others just being silent on their heritage. You'd never guess a genocide happened based on this book.
Some nuggets: The early Shia heroes were outsiders -- a blunt truth-teller, the son of a slave, a despised foreigner. But Sunni heroes were those in power. There was hadith inflation among the stories collected. At a maximum, it worked out to a hadith for every eight minutes of Muhammad's life as a prophet. When pruned to the 5000 most reliable ones, it's still five/week of his public life. In the five months after the Oct. 7, 2023 Gaza attack (that killed 1,200 Isralies and resulted in 240 more hostages), Israeli forces killed 32,000 Palestinians.
Apparently, Shia is the religious sect and Shiite are the people. (I think?)
Then you get to the Umayyad Caliphate and suddenly you're covered a century or more every ten pages. The pace finally slows up when you reach the 19th/20th centuries, but it's the pacing shift gave me whiplash. The main developments in that period were the rise of three power centers: a Shia Persia, a Sunni Turkey, and a Wahhabi Arabia. You get through the era of rising European power and interaction with the Middle East. In 1979, all hell breaks loose with a Shia revolution in Iran, Sunni extremists taking over the main mosque in Mecca, and the Soviets invading Afghanistan.
The last third . . I assumed it was going to be an in-depth narrative over the last 40 years. Instead, you get a summation of many different countries. These summations go way back well before 1979. They do go to the present, but - the whole thing felt weird. We're being told about periods we were already told about. The format has changed from chronological to geographical. It's like Rogerson didn't know how he wanted to organize the book so he completely reorganized it at the end.
The book weirdly skims over the Armenian Genocide, noting that Turkey went from having 2,000,000 to 70,000 due "massacre and migration" and others just being silent on their heritage. You'd never guess a genocide happened based on this book.
Some nuggets: The early Shia heroes were outsiders -- a blunt truth-teller, the son of a slave, a despised foreigner. But Sunni heroes were those in power. There was hadith inflation among the stories collected. At a maximum, it worked out to a hadith for every eight minutes of Muhammad's life as a prophet. When pruned to the 5000 most reliable ones, it's still five/week of his public life. In the five months after the Oct. 7, 2023 Gaza attack (that killed 1,200 Isralies and resulted in 240 more hostages), Israeli forces killed 32,000 Palestinians.
Apparently, Shia is the religious sect and Shiite are the people. (I think?)
May 10, 2024
A great book to understand the history of each nation of the Middle East. The author takes us through the birth of Islam, Sunni and Shia schism origins, to the current geo politics of the region.
The book is a long read at near 400 pages but it is very nicely split into time periods and then goes through history of each country.
The continued fighting between the three empires - Arabs, Persians, and Turks for dominance and how it shaped the forging of alliances or supporting revolutions in their enemy nations is very well captured.
The role of foreign powers in the destiny of each of the countries also brings out how the region suffered - like Britain’s role in Israel/ Palestine creation or Yemen internal conflicts or US/ USSR fights in Afghanistan or US attacks on Afghanistan/ Iraq.
The book makes you understand why the Middle East is so crisis ridden at present through the history lens.
A good introduction to the region and all the powers at play in this region.
The book is a long read at near 400 pages but it is very nicely split into time periods and then goes through history of each country.
The continued fighting between the three empires - Arabs, Persians, and Turks for dominance and how it shaped the forging of alliances or supporting revolutions in their enemy nations is very well captured.
The role of foreign powers in the destiny of each of the countries also brings out how the region suffered - like Britain’s role in Israel/ Palestine creation or Yemen internal conflicts or US/ USSR fights in Afghanistan or US attacks on Afghanistan/ Iraq.
The book makes you understand why the Middle East is so crisis ridden at present through the history lens.
A good introduction to the region and all the powers at play in this region.
March 17, 2025
Read the paperback version, published in 2025 so was able to capture the Israeli-Gaza conflict and the overthrow of Assad in Syria.
A comprehensive but rapid trip through history of the region and the panoply of religious, tribal, military and political influences in this most turbulent of regions.
A good overview, quite dense in places, and needing a re-read in places to ensure understanding.
Intriguingly, there is no real summary of the fundamental precepts of Islam, nor much on the different practices of the Sunni and the Shia. Nor was there any proper coverage of Jordan, and the Alawites, Hashemites and other sects. It would also have been very useful to have had a summary of the Sunni line to add to the (mainly) Shia ‘family’ tree in the appendix.
Overall though, a good book. Straightforward reading to start but increasingly complex in the closing chapters.
A comprehensive but rapid trip through history of the region and the panoply of religious, tribal, military and political influences in this most turbulent of regions.
A good overview, quite dense in places, and needing a re-read in places to ensure understanding.
Intriguingly, there is no real summary of the fundamental precepts of Islam, nor much on the different practices of the Sunni and the Shia. Nor was there any proper coverage of Jordan, and the Alawites, Hashemites and other sects. It would also have been very useful to have had a summary of the Sunni line to add to the (mainly) Shia ‘family’ tree in the appendix.
Overall though, a good book. Straightforward reading to start but increasingly complex in the closing chapters.
June 12, 2025
Books explains the origins of islam in ~600 AD, one of the 3 brahmic religions (jews from abraham and then moses, abraham being in ~1000 BC, christianity, and then muslim
And the division of islam into shia (iran dominant) and sunni (most of the rest of the world), the most extremist sect being wahabism (offshoot of sunni) in saudi arabia
Shia: from the followers of mohammed’s nephew Ali. this should have been the right sect because mohammed trusted Ali most with his teachings and even in his death he was with Ali in a cave.
But while mohammed was with Ali, his wife’s brother and other followers who were richer, took over the religion at his death, sidelining Ali. this became Sunni. Most of the sunni scripture has teachings from Mohammed’s wife - only ~10% of the teachings can be attributed to mohammed
And the division of islam into shia (iran dominant) and sunni (most of the rest of the world), the most extremist sect being wahabism (offshoot of sunni) in saudi arabia
Shia: from the followers of mohammed’s nephew Ali. this should have been the right sect because mohammed trusted Ali most with his teachings and even in his death he was with Ali in a cave.
But while mohammed was with Ali, his wife’s brother and other followers who were richer, took over the religion at his death, sidelining Ali. this became Sunni. Most of the sunni scripture has teachings from Mohammed’s wife - only ~10% of the teachings can be attributed to mohammed
July 23, 2024
An excellent book told logically & with depth - though don’t be surprised at remaining confused. Such complexity - religious difference, tribal/country history & legacy, poverty & riches - and the lust for power, control, division& influence.
Sunni v Shia - the nearest allegory that comes to mind is Swift’s ‘bigendians’ v ‘littlendians’ over which end of a boiled egg should be opened - though the Muslim issues of difference are real.
Is religion a tool of power, conflict & war - it has always been so - a regrettable fact.
This book gives you it all. I confess to skimming some of the recent history but the introduction to each part and each chapter give you most of what will give one a greater knowledge and understanding. Go deeper if you want to- it’s all here.
Sunni v Shia - the nearest allegory that comes to mind is Swift’s ‘bigendians’ v ‘littlendians’ over which end of a boiled egg should be opened - though the Muslim issues of difference are real.
Is religion a tool of power, conflict & war - it has always been so - a regrettable fact.
This book gives you it all. I confess to skimming some of the recent history but the introduction to each part and each chapter give you most of what will give one a greater knowledge and understanding. Go deeper if you want to- it’s all here.
October 20, 2024
Barnaby Rogerson, I could read you til the days end!
As someone who knows so little of how the Middle East middle-easted, I feel this book boiled it all down for me, right from the 7th century to today.
(By ‘today’ I actually mean a week after 7th October 2023, with my version reprinted to append an afterword from April 2024).
It’s exactly what I wanted too: ambitious in its breadth and contention yet detailed where it feels needed.
Perhaps what I liked most is that Rogerson’s writing comes off as excitable, like he’s been sitting on gold for decades and has only finally been greenlit to write it.
As someone who knows so little of how the Middle East middle-easted, I feel this book boiled it all down for me, right from the 7th century to today.
(By ‘today’ I actually mean a week after 7th October 2023, with my version reprinted to append an afterword from April 2024).
It’s exactly what I wanted too: ambitious in its breadth and contention yet detailed where it feels needed.
Perhaps what I liked most is that Rogerson’s writing comes off as excitable, like he’s been sitting on gold for decades and has only finally been greenlit to write it.
February 18, 2025
Highly highly recommend this for anyone wishing to study or just learn of the context for Islamic (and just religious) conflicts in the Middle East - divided perfectly historically and geographically into succinct sections.
A perfect introduction and general overview of the history of the Islamic Middle East, context for every major player from the time of the Prophet to the October 7th attacks. Star deducted only because of a lack of focus on the title of the book, the Sunni-Shia discourse, as the book progresses (though arguably always persistent in the background as the original root of modern schisms).
A perfect introduction and general overview of the history of the Islamic Middle East, context for every major player from the time of the Prophet to the October 7th attacks. Star deducted only because of a lack of focus on the title of the book, the Sunni-Shia discourse, as the book progresses (though arguably always persistent in the background as the original root of modern schisms).
Read
April 13, 2025An exhilarating framework for introducing and understanding Middle Eastern history, though one that despite the subtitle does as much to express the limitations of religious divisions as it does to explain them.
Covering such a range of places and long scope of time it necessarily deals with any particular episode briefly, often either leaving me wanting more, or slightly bamboozled by presenting a kaleidescope of information.
But for its length I think it did well to provide a cohesive synthesis.
Covering such a range of places and long scope of time it necessarily deals with any particular episode briefly, often either leaving me wanting more, or slightly bamboozled by presenting a kaleidescope of information.
But for its length I think it did well to provide a cohesive synthesis.
August 4, 2024
I found Rodgerson’s work engrossing and insightful. Each chapter moves swifts but adroitly through the salient matters of history that inform so much of what is happening today. The afterward, written in April 2024 just prior to the publishing of the book in North America, anchors the insights woven throughout the book into the very real challenges facing the world today. Highly recommended, with an invaluable suggested reading list for each of the sections.
May 26, 2025
Probably the most starts I can give to a book with no footnotes. A mile wide and inch deep, it gives an in depth history of Islam and then brief once overs of most major events in Muslim history. It is very recent, covering up to Hamas' recent attack in Israel and the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad by Turkish backed forces.
The book reads well and the author offered new perspectives on everything from Islam's founding to the balance of power in the Muslim world.
The book reads well and the author offered new perspectives on everything from Islam's founding to the balance of power in the Muslim world.
August 23, 2025
A book on a very interesting region with complex histories. Each chapter is fairly short and readable, organised by subregion and country, however for readers not too familiar with many historical events, the timeline of events (and names) are at times quite muddled and confusing. It could have benefitted from some timelines between chapters and maps to help readers grasp the complexities of those dates , foreign names and events....
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