Islam: A Concise Introduction

The author begins by listing some of the ways western civilization has slighted Islam over the centuries (and there are many). He also argues that is a more tolerant religion than others in the world (certainly in its early history it was more tolerant than Christianity was at the same time). He follows up by decrying how peaceful Islam is. Here the author slips a bit. His history of Islam seems filled with conflicts between rival clans and sects. The Prophet himself rose to power defeating polytheists in a military battle. The second half of the book review the pillars of Islam and give great insight into the significance of the Prophet and the Quran. At times the author can seem a bit of an apologist for radical Islam. The book was written in 1999. I wonder if he would continue to tacitly accept such radicalism today.