An excellent book on the comparison of Christians and Muslims is "The Great Divide" by Alvin J. Schmidt.
It gives the history of the Crusades and it also gives us a look into the world at the time that Jesus was born. Even if one does not believe in Christianity, this book puts in perspective how unique Jesus was up until that time. No one else had ever taught his message before. The great philosophers of the Greek civilzation did not have any of the vision that Jesus had. Studying the role of Jesus in history adds a different perspective on the role Jesus played in shaping Western civilization. It's amazing that we can not discuss one of the great historical figures, let alone the history of Christianity in out classrooms today.
"The Beehive Award"