History of Islam Book Recommendations

[Dick Bachert]

Spot on. Spend 40 minutes with Bill Warner as he explains that “radical islam” is a myth. There is ONLY ISLAM and it is ALL RADICAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjBDDC4wVxk

[Capt. Tom]

Lots of good recommendations ahead of me.

I would add, for an understanding of the past and modern threat, an easy to read 200 page book by a former Muslim called:
"Islam and Terrorism,Revised and Updated Edition"
By Mark A. Gabriel.

Another good book about 300 pages long is:
"What every American Needs to Know About the Qur'an by William J. Federer.
You could get the sense of the book by watching this clip, copy and paste it in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YpJjRzQDIM

[karnage]

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades by Robert Spencer

[karnage]

That’s a good one

[Capt. Tom]

Oh. Don’t read the Koran. It’s long.

Unfortunately for everyone , the Caliph Uthman had the Koran arranged with the chapters out of order.

The earlier milder Meccan chapters when Muhammed was trying to convert by preaching, and the later Militant , Political Medina chapters are mixed up, making the Koran hard to fathom.

Since the Muslims consider Muhammad the perfect example to emulate, his murderous implementation of the Koran can be found in the Hadiths. -Tom

[Zeneta]

I highly recommend that you visit this website.

http://www.faithfreedom.org/

While the “front end” of the site is formatted to address current news, they have archived virtually all of their work.

It’s my understanding that the site is the creation of a former Muslim, Ali Sina.

It is a tremendous resource.

[jmacusa]

You can do no better than to read Islam's own book. The Koran itself, in particular the chapter's called “The Sura’’. It's there you'll find such gem's as “O Brothers, the hour will not come until the rocks and tress cry out “O Brothers there is a Jew hiding behind me! Come and kill him!’’. Nice folks. Islam was an ally of the Kaisers Germany in WW1 and an ally of the Nazis in WW2. Heinrich Himmler, head of the dreaded SS called Islam ''the perfect religion for the warrior''.

[wright2bear]

"The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades by Robert Spencer"

I'm about half way through the one I mentioned, then I'll try the Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam. Thanks for pointing it out. Folks better wake up!

[ABN 505]

Try The “Enemy at The Gate” a facinating and really well written Book of the Ottomans and their defeat at the Gate of Vienna. It is so well done I have read it at least 4 times over the years. 1683, an Ottoman army that stretched from horizon to horizon set out to seize the “Golden Apple,” as Turks referred to Vienna. The ensuing siege pitted battle-hardened Janissaries wielding seventeenth-century grenades against Habsburg armies, widely feared for their savagery. The walls of Vienna bristled with guns as the besieging Ottoman host launched bombs, fired cannons, and showered the populace with arrows during the battle for Christianity’s bulwark. Each side was sustained by the hatred of its age-old enemy, certain that victory would be won by the grace of God.

The Great Siege of Vienna is the centerpiece for historian Andrew Wheatcroft’s richly drawn portrait of the centuries-long rivalry between the Ottoman and Habsburg empires for control of the European continent. A gripping work by a master historian, The Enemy at the Gate offers a timely examination of an epic clash of civilizations.

[Sam Gamgee]

“Infidel” by Hirsi Ali gives a good look into Islamic culture today.

[Sheapdog]

I grew up as a teenager living in the Emirates and have always sought to understand the intricacies of that culture. I would forgo Bernard Lewis - too textbook like and Arabist sympathies there.

I second going to Fortress of Faith and downloading their Saturday broadcasts for free. hit info button and mp3 download is available.

A few books I recommend:

(This is a solid and not too difficult read with lots of info - far more than Refuting Islam by Tom Wallace at Fortress of Faith- good stuff there but this is better)
http://www.amazon.com/Islam-Revealed-Christian-Arabs-View/dp/0840730152/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462374965&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=anish+shorrosh

(best overall book to understand the Arab world)
http://www.amazon.com/Closed-Circle-Interpretation-Edward-Burlingame-ebook/dp/B002EVP4V8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462388283&sr=8-1&keywords=closed+circle+jones

and
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Immemorial-Arab-Jewish-Conflict-Palestine/dp/0963624202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462388333&sr=8-1&keywords=joan+peters+time+immemorial

If you want to read a good travel book that reveals the desert lifestyle of the Bedouin and the redeeming qualities that come form that lifestyle as opposed to the corruption of the city and modern Arab world separated from Islam in a sense I would recommend

http://www.amazon.com/Arabian-Sands-W-Thesiger/dp/1873544758/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1462388404&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=thessiger+Arabian+Sands

[Luna]

Looks like my Amazon list got a little longer! LOL!

I ordered a few that you Freepers have recommended and I printed out the list of titles in this thread for future reference.

Thanks so much, all!

Someday the curse of Islam will be gone. See tagline.

[yuleeyahoo]

[daltec]

Since you asked for just a factual history of Islam, two books that I can recommend are:

"Mohammedanism" by H.A.R. Gibb -- written back when you were still allowed to call them "Mohammedans" lol. A slim book but nonetheless a great intro to the religion and how it impacts its adherents and their neighbors.

Amazon

Another (much larger but very thorough) recommendation is Albert Hourani's "A History of the Arab Peoples," published in 1971 I think. I read and studied this book many years ago, before the new content was added (by somebody other than Hourani, who died some time ago). So I can't speak to that, but as a "just the facts" history, written by an actual historian, you can't go too far wrong.

Amazon

Somebody else mentioned Bernard Lewis as being perhaps too sympathetic to Islam. Among those who actually are too sympathetic to Islam, Bernard Lewis is persona non grata! Funny how the same person can be looked at so differently. And yes his books are monstrously erudite, but they are among the best.

Good luck with your studies!

[AllAmericanGirl44]

bkmk