From Publishers Weekly
In a meticulous quest for the historical Muhammad, Armstrong first traces the West's long history of hostility toward Islam, which it has stigmatized as a "religion of the sword." This sympathetic, engrossing biography portrays Muhammad (ca. 570-632) as a passionate, complex, fallible human being--a charismatic leader possessed of political as well as spiritual gifts, and a prophet whose monotheistic vision intuitively answered the deepest longings of his people. Armstrong ( The Gospel According to Woman ) refutes the Western image of Muhammad as an impostor who used religion as a means to power, an attitude encapsulated in a psychotic dream episode in Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses. Denying that Islam preaches total intransigence, she finds in the Prophet's teachings a theology of peace and tolerance. The "holy war" urged by the Koran, in Armstrong's reading, alludes to each Muslim's duty to fight for a just, decent society. She draws significant parallels between the spiritual aspirations of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This portrayal of the prophet of Islam and the setting from which he emerged will captivate and enlighten general readers with a newfound understanding of modern events in the Middle East. Armstrong, a former Roman Catholic nun, has shown much insight and sensitivity in her well-researched biography. She interweaves sections on the Western response to Islam and the controversy over Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses ( LJ 12/88) within her detailed account of Muhammad and the monumental, unifying religion that he introduced to the backward tribal Arabia of the seventh century. The book was first published in Great Britain in 1991 under the title Muhammad: A Western Attempt To Understand Islam . Highly recommended.- Paula I. Nielson, Loyola Marymount Univ. Lib., Los AngelesCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The Economist
"Respectful without being reverential, knowledgeable without being pedantic, and, above all, readable. It succeeds because [Armstrong] begins Muhammad to life as a fully rounded human being."


From Book News, Inc.
An account of the founder of Islam, deliberately sympathetic enough to counter western prejudices, but not hagiographic. For general readers; the scholar might find a lack of historiographic rigor. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


Publishers Weekly
"This sympathetic, engrossing biography portrays Muhammad as a passionate, complex, fallible human being...


Choice
"A fresh, well-written, and often insightful account whose ten chapters give special attention to the religions roots, experiences, and motivations of Muhammad."


Book Description
This vivid and detailed biography strips away centuries of distortion and myth and presents a balanced view of the man whose religion continues to dramatically affect the course of history.


About the Author
Karen Armstrong spent seven years as a Roman Catholic nun. After leaving her order in 1969, she went to Oxford University.She is the author of the bestselling A History of God. Her other books include Through the Narrow Gate, Beginning of the World, The Gospel According to Woman, Holy War, and Mohammed. Armstrong is one of the foremost commentators on religious affairs in England and is well on her way to similar status in the United States.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This vivid and detailed biography strips away centuries of distortion and myth and presents a balanced view of the man whose religion continues to dramatically affect the course of history.

Author Biography: Karen Armstrong spent seven years as a Roman Catholic nun. After leaving her order in 1969, she went to Oxford University.

She is the author of the bestselling A History of God. Her other books include Through the Narrow Gate, Beginning of the World, The Gospel According to Woman, Holy War, and Mohammed.

Armstrong is one of the foremost commentators on religious affairs in England and is well on her way to similar status in the United States.

FROM THE CRITICS

Economist

Respectful without being reverential, knowledgeable without being pedantic, and, above all, readable. It succeeds because [Armstrong] brings Muhammad to life as a fully rounded human being.

Choice

A fresh, well-written, and often insightful account whose ten chapters give special attention to the religions roots, experiences, and motivations of Muhammad.

Booknews