The History of Islam

This book is a real page turner from start to finish. The author describes the people and events from Mohammad through Nassar including all the conspiracies, loves and intrigues, and debauchery. This very balanced historical reporting does not leave out the good, the bad, or the ugly about any of them. I found it more exciting to read than the best fiction.

Kinan's review is far too negative, Avid Reader's is far too positive. The stories in this book, about which Kinan comlains so vociferously, are often reflected in the Islamic tradition. That doesn't make them true, but it does make them somewhat respectable. At the same time, it is true that Robert Payne sometimes misrepresents the Qur'an. He also misrepresents the Battle of Ayn Jalut. On the whole, though, it is a very good overview of the history of Islam. However, Avid Reader is wrong to call it a "sobering look" at the origins of Islam. Payne admires much that is in the Islamic tradition, and makes his stance clear right from the start.

Written in 1959, Payne's history of Islam is one of the few books on the subject that has revealed Islam and its origins in a manner that is free of today's political correctness and sensitivity. That alone would appear to be sufficient for defenders of Islam to avoid this book at all costs. Payne provides an historical context to discovering Islam's earliest years when it transformed the Arabian peninsula from polytheism to belief in a single god with Muhammad as his sole voice through the sword. Reading this book provides you with a clear sense of how Islam is as much a politcial ideology as it is a religion. In that context, he conveys a day to day history of Islam as if you were watching Fox News. Those who want an unvarnshed view of Islam's origins need to read this book to provide a foundation of Islam not easily found elsewhere.