The Crisis of Islam

Holy War and Unholy Terror

De: Bernard Lewis

Narrado por: Bernard Lewis

In his first book since What Went Wrong? Bernard Lewis examines the historical roots of the resentments that dominate the Islamic world today and that are increasingly being expressed in acts of terrorism. He looks at the theological origins of political Islam and takes us through the rise of militant Islam in Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, examining the impact of radical Wahhabi proselytizing, and Saudi oil money, on the rest of the Islamic world.

The Crisis of Islam ranges widely through thirteen centuries of history, but in particular it charts the key events of the twentieth century leading up to the violent confrontations of today: the creation of the state of Israel, the Cold War, the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, the Gulf War, and the September 11th attacks on the United States.

While hostility toward the West has a long and varied history in the lands of Islam, its current concentration on America is new. So too is the cult of the suicide bomber. Brilliantly disentangling the crosscurrents of Middle Eastern history from the rhetoric of its manipulators, Bernard Lewis helps us understand the reasons for the increasingly dogmatic rejection of modernity by many in the Muslim world in favor of a return to a sacred past. Based on his George Polk Award–winning article for The New Yorker, The Crisis of Islam is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what Usama bin Ladin represents and why his murderous message resonates so widely in the Islamic world.©2003 Bernard Lewis; (P)2003 Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Terrorism requires only a few. Obviously the West must defend itself by whatever means will be effective. But in devising means to fight the terrorists, it would surely be useful to understand the forces that drive them.” —from the Introduction

“Remarkably succinct . . . It offers a long view in the midst of so much short-termism and confusing punditry. Lewis has done us all—Muslim and non-Muslim alike—a remarkable service.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Inestimable . . . replete with the exceptional historical insight that one has come to expect from the world’s foremost Islamic scholar.” —The Wall Street Journal

“A timely and provocative contribution to the current raging debate about the tensions between the West and the Islamic world.” —BusinessWeek

“No scholar of Islam in the Western world has more thoroughly earned the respect of generalists and academics alike than Bernard Lewis. . . . An excitingly knowledgeable antidote to today’s natural sense of befuddlement. . . . History with electric immediacy.” —Baltimore Sun

A must read for everyone.

it's hard for us "Westerners" to understand the terrorists actions of late and how Islam could condone such acts. we want to believe that these extremists have twisted the teaching of Islam but are bombarded by the talking heads. this is an excellent synopsis of the history of Islam and the reason behind the growth of the extremists movements. Lewis takes a nutral approach as he walks us through the changes in the Arab world over the last few centuries.

Very Informative and Very Relevant

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. The author gave a wonderfully concise and relevant review of Islamic history...how events in the past have lead up to the attitudes and hostilities that are being expressed today. I had some knowledge of the practice of Islam as well as a familiarity with Islamic terms before listening to this which I feel was helpful in following along. Without this, I may not have gotten as much out of it. It has broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of Middle Eastern events. I think anyone interested in foreign policy, world religion or current events would benefit greatly from listening to this.

The narrator had a bit of an accent which I thought added to my enjoyment as well. I am looking forward to listening to it again.

An enlightening book

Well narrated, well researched and very informative. I listened to it twice and learned much from it. This book helped me see the world and current events from a different point of view and significantly improved my ability to interpret and understand the political and diplomatic forces at play in the Arab and Muslim worlds.

A little heavy on the rhetoric

What did you like best about The Crisis of Islam? What did you like least?

The author comes off as incredibly knowledgeable. That being said, even to someone like me who knows little about the subject, he's clearly cherry picking to make a political point. I think the idea is basically that he can locate various historical strands to assemble into an ideology, which he ascribes to Islam generally. But the threads are all over the place, and he noticeably flattens the culture - treating a bunch of different people spread over hundreds of years as a single actor with a single set of thoughts and motivations. That's just my sense. It's still an interesting view, but I can't recommend it as a comprehensive primer, which is what I was looking for.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The author reading lends a certain earnestness to the book, but at times he swallows words or is otherwise hard to hear. It was a bit distracting.

quite good

This is a succinct, compelling, and careful introduction to the world of Islam. While some seem to have a problem with the author's reading, I did not. In fact, his inflection, tone, and cadence was fitting, and I appreciated its authenticity, which is to say the degree it was connected to the meaning: it seemed distinct from "canned" professional jobs.