A Brief History of Islam

by Tamara Sonn

Rare book

Genres: History, Religion, Islam, Middle East, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2004

Reviews

[Sam Norton]

A very readable, accessible version of the story of Islam. Nothing particularly new and nothing that hasn't already been said. However, the last chapter, that of "Obstacles and Prospects for Islamic Reform" I think really saved the book. Up to that point, the history had been pretty simple, though mundane (particularly for anyone who has already read one of the myriad of other books which explain the rise and decline of Islam as a major power). However, Sonn's theories of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and her (as I would guage it) harsh criticisms of the lack of self-criticism and reliance on fear of "the other" (usually Israel or the West) is always refreshing to hear, though it is certainly nothing new. I really enjoyed her bits about Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Taymiyya and al-Afghani. I find Afghani's words about fundamentalist Muslims' "[pride] in their own foolishness" to be particularly prescient, as I can see much the same sense of pride in those of the fundamentalist Christian bent as well.

[Sarafina van Ast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to get a good overview on the Islam. Not negative or judging but really honest. The writer explains her view very professional and goes on about every topic in the Islam. Not enough for some maybe, but for sure for those that are curious about this religion. If intrested in the Islam for studies, personal reasons or get started on a journey to the history in Islam this is a book for you.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prof. Sonn was my main Islamic instructor in college (William and Mary). She is both wonderful and wonderfully knowledgeable on Islam... and possibly everything else. Highly recommended.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, concise history of Islam from a world-renowned scholar. Also.. a little biased - the author was my advisor/like a 2nd mom to me in College.

[John H · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been about a year since I read this book, but Sonn does give a very even handed history of Islam that also functions as an introduction to the religion.

[Marco Aurélio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um dos livros mais legais que já li e um dos que mais me acrescentou conhecimento. Afinal eu era um grande ignorante em relação ao Islã que possui como valores básicos a paz, a tolerância e o compromisso com a justiça. Não podemos aceitar que radicais e terroristas que exploram a ignorância e o ressentimento do povo de um lado e de outro manche a linda história do Islã que muito contribuiu, entre outras coisas, com as artes e com a ciência principalmente na Idade Média. Vai aqui meu respeito e minha admiração pelo Islã e pelos mulçumanos. A mais nova das grandes religiões que já congrega ao redor de um quinto dá população mundial.

[Dani Iglesias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro muito bom para quem está começando a estudar o Islã. A autora trabalha com os principais preceitos da religião e sua história através dos séculos, passando pelo seu surgimento com Maomé no séc. VII, a Idade de Ouro do Islã e o colonialismo europeu no século XX. É um livro curto, com uma linguagem de fácil assimilação - não se propõe a ser muito profundo ou trazer grandes discussões, mas levanta questionamentos interessantes a respeito da imagem do Islã no Ocidente.

[Claudia Sevillano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Independent from the perspective that it was written, I found the book a little disorganized when narrating the facts, specially with the years.

[Jonathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the fact that this book was written from the perspective of a Muslim with its expected bias. However, there were more than a few things in “A Brief History of Islam” that Ms. Sonn (and Mary Williamsburg) wrote that I found absurd unacceptable and in certain cases untrue. In some instances her/their “apologist” stance is unsettling to me. A sample of what I refer to is listed below:

- Janissaries: Authors refer to Janissaries as Muslim converts – The Janissaries were taken from a population of kidnapped Christian boys/young men from the Ottoman raids in the Balkans and other places. There was no mention of that.

- Mongols: It is well know that the Mongols we astonishing brutal in their conquests. However, they were also well known in accepting other religions into their culture after their acquisitions were complete. The authors made it seem like the Islamic states were the only tolerant ones at the time.

- Crusades: Authors indicate that the Crusades were a horrific and brutal incursion of the west. This may be true, but they never held the Ottomans (or other Muslim states) to the same standard.

- In the Authors discussion on Pakistan, they indicate that much of their problems stem from the previous imperial occupiers. This is ludicrous. While I don't doubt that England has hurt Pakistan and many other countries, there are far less problems in India or Vietnam or Indonesia or Malaysia (the final 2 are muslin countries). Unacceptable to imply that Pakistan is a special situation.

There are multiple unlisted issues but the above should give you a flavor.

A couple more points: There is a lot of name calling with respect to the West (page 160) and considerable Islamic elitism (page 161) throughout the book. This should be expected with the book’s bias but I felt it was a little heavy handed.

Finally, discussion of the Shia/Sunni violence was somewhat glossed over.

I was glad to read the book, but shame on the authors. I would love it if they would reach out to me to discuss. I have read more than a few books on the history of certain Middle Eastern and central Asian countries but I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I would love to be educated.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd describe this book as more academic rather than brief, but Professor Sonn (an extremely knowledgeable and well-respected professor at The College of William & Mary) offers her expertise in a relatively accessible manner. This book offers a much deeper understanding of Islam's global influence throughout history and is a valuable resource for anyone wishing to demystify the Islam faith - and in particular to debunk many western misconceptions with regard to it.

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as much as I cared to know.

[Olivia Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

really interesting read I learnt a lot about the religion and their history which I did not know much about.

[Donaldo Dagnone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se você quer entender melhor o Islã este é um bom livro para começar. O olha é ocidental, obviamente, mas a autora se esforça para nos colocar dentro do Islã em várias épocas.