A Brief Guide to Islam

Brief Histories

By: Paul Grieve

Narrated by: Roger Davis

Exploring the beliefs, history, and politics of the ordinary people of Muslim countries, Grieve cuts through the complexities as he examines all aspects of Islam. He also addresses the big issues: Can Islam support true democracy? Is true democracy what the West really wants for Muslim countries or are we merely seeking a cover of legitimacy for a policy of 'might is right'?

Paul Grieve is an unbeliever - he is not a born-again Muslim, a proselytizer or a frustrated desert romantic. His aim is to inform. The result is an accessible but never simplistic guide that challenges stereotypical views, from women and banking to war and Malcolm X.

Complete with advice for visitors to Muslim countries, and with carefully chosen primary sources, maps, and illustrations, this is the ideal summary for the listener looking for an unbiased overview of the religious and political world issues that have become part of our everyday lives.

©2006 Paul Grieve (P)2014 Audible Ltd

Fair and square

It is unrealistic to expect someone to write a serious book on a subject without developing strong emotional ties to it. Moreover, those ties are likely to be of a positive nature. In the other words, the author who writes seriously about Muslims will sympathize with them, and it is only normal.

Current conflict between the Muslim and the Western worlds and between Muslims and Jews makes the topic particularly hot. One who removes the lid from the boiling pot must not be surprised when he sees boiling water, even gets a few hot drops on his skin.

I give five stars to the author, who, while loving Muslims, never sounds irritated, refrains from outwardly negative assessments and stays in this hot stream as cool as possible. I have not sensed a hint of antisemitic or anti-western inclinations when a proponent of the Muslim point of view would be expected to fall into some.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and have understood Muslim cause a great deal more as a result of reading it without loosing a bit of my Western and Jewish sympathies.

Very good book, but biased

Any additional comments?

I read the book because I wanted to find out more about Islam, and this is an excellent book for that. There is a lot of information about belief, history, the schools, culture, architecture, food and politics.

However there are sections (in particular towards the beginning) whereby it is very biased towards Islam and against Christianity and Judaism. He is almost trying to show why Islam is better then Christianity and Judaism, presenting a very one-sided view of many historical events.

But if you can ignore the bias, having read the book I feel I have a much better understanding and I would recommend the book to anybody wanting to find out more about Islam.

Interest in but ideologically skewed

Reading gives the impression that the book should convince the reader that Islam is ok. The content is selected in a manner hiding the atrocities of Islam. Not that other religions are better. All religious movements are deprived of logic and humanity and serve as the means of intellectual oppression of men and women. Nevertheless, it was wort to listen (read) to it.

redundant

The author's shock-talk, almost begging for a fight, is cloying at best. Nothing new is revealed here...