Destiny Disrupted

A History of the World through Islamic Eyes

By: Tamim Ansary

Narrated by: Tamim Ansary

Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Until about 1800, the West and the Islamic realm were like two adjacent, parallel universes, each assuming itself to be the center of the world while ignoring the other. As Europeans colonized the globe, the two world histories intersected and the Western narrative drove the other one under. The West hardly noticed, but the Islamic world found the encounter profoundly disrupting.

This book reveals the parallel "other" narrative of world history to help us make sense of today's world conflicts. Ansary traces the history of the Muslim world from pre-Mohammedan days through 9/11, introducing people, events, empires, legends, and religious disputes, both in terms of what happened and how it was understood and interpreted.

©2009 Tamim Ansary (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Informative and thoroughly engaging....A must read." (Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner)

great read

this was an easy book to devour. brilliant analysis and great insight. the author /narrator also delivers an enjoyable performance.

History as story

A great crash course on the history of the Islamic world. Ansary's soft diction and humorous editorial asides are charming and engrossing. A must read for history buffs, especially those who love history as a sweeping narrative

Compelling mile high narrative of Islamic history.

An easy book to follow along and pick up some context of ongoing events in the middle world without getting lost in the weeds.

Essential reading to understand current state of world affairs

This comprehensive history of Islam and its encounters through the centuries with the West is written by an author with an in-depth understanding of the underlying factors and diverse perspectives on key defining historical events. This is essential reading for those seeking to penetrate the daily headlines to understand the complex history and roles of multiple players that have led to today's conflicts within the Islamic world and between the Islamic world and the West. An excellent, thoughtful and enlightening read!

Great historical perspective

I decided to listen to this book on a whim. This book is so well written and so full of historical information that I have never heard before. He doesn’t take sides on the big questions of history between Christianity and Islam. He states historical facts in a way that you can relate to and understand so well

Phenomenal

I don't think I ever expect to explore a serious historical topic like this one and come away totally passionate about both the author and the narrator (which in this case are one and the same), but this book is the exception to almost every rule ! Ever since 9/11 (and I was in lower Manhattan on that day) I have been struggling to understand why the West and the Middle East are at such a terrible pass, why they seem so angry at us, and why the enmity seems to be so "stuck." I came to this book hoping it might shed some light on this complicated topic, but I admit rather shamefacedly that i was somewhat skeptical because the author's name looks Arab-- well of course he is an Arab, but to see the history of the world through his eyes is an extraordinary experience. I was born and will always be an Anglo Saxon Protestant, descended from a long line of Brits and Danes, and I will always be true to the faith of my fathers. But I am also a well educated person with an inquiring mind, and I found this book immensely satisfying. The author as narrator adds a special dimension to the experience of reading his book because his tone is so reasonable, just as reasonable as his prose is well reasoned, and the combination of the two is powerful in a gentle way that will not alienate even those of us who think that the whole concept of jihad is revolting, heartless and inhumane. This gentlemanly scholar seems relatively unbiased, as his story sets forth many aspects of Islamic history that are no less pretty than some of the excesses of the "Christian" Crusaders. His book will inspire me to read more about the history of Islam and the Arabs; in fact on my nightstand I now have a paperback called "The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization"-- I think the ultimate measure of this book is that the author has intrigued me enough that now I want to learn more. His book is a great starting point on the road to understanding the entire mess in the Middle East, and also to the realization that the jihadists do not represent all Muslims, much less all Arabs. Cannot recommend this too highly !

An excellent overview of Isamic history

This is a remarkably good book for anyone interested in learning about history of Islam. Mr Ansary presents historical facts in a style which is easy to follow. He maintains the neutrality of an independent observer of the story without inserting his own biases into it. I was born and raised as a Muslim. I thought I knew history of Islam but this book has brought a wealth of information which is all new for me. I have learned a great deal about decades of Islamic history from this book.
I am going to listen to it and read this book again. It cuts through a lot of stereotypes and misinformation about Islam and Muslims.
I will highly recommend this book to anyone but specially to Muslims who want to learn about history of their religion.
Listening to Mr Ansary narrate this book was like having a knowlegable and learned friend explain the historical facts in a well informed and calm manner. I congratulate Mr Ansary for compiling such a wonderful source for increasing our understanding of history of Islam.

Eye opening

Where does Destiny Disrupted rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A very interesting book, as a typical American I didn't know a lot about Islam or the middle east. Tamim tells a great story from beginning to end and I would highly recommend this book to anyone curious about the middle east.

What other book might you compare Destiny Disrupted to and why?

A people's history of the United States.

Have you listened to any of Tamim Ansary’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not but this was great.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no.

Interesting

The focus is on the history. No attempt is made to convince the reader to like our dislike Islam.

Exemplary work and performance

Where does Destiny Disrupted rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Easily among one of the best, fiction or non.

What other book might you compare Destiny Disrupted to and why?

"1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" - like that book, it offers an easy-to-understand, easy-to-assimilate history of a non-European culture.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, although given the amount of information, it's not something I would.

Any additional comments?

For anyone who wants to know about the underpinnings of the current conflicts between the West and the Middle East, this is a must-read. In fact, I plan to read it again, and follow up on certain strands of history discussed. You can read a full review here: