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Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet 93 reviews
Karen Armstrong
HarperOne, 1993
Critical analysis
I have read several reviews about Karen Armstrong book many have liked it and others have called her naive . I guess it is how we view her writting skill. First point is that she is not a muslim to have any kind of biasing.I have found her impartial.she has presented query from western perspective as well as islamic perspective. She has presented her work in such a way that it brings out ...
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Islam: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)138 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Modern Library, 2002
Fascinating Book
This was a great book for trying to understand a very complicated religion. I found it easy to read and very insightful.
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The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness 97 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Anchor, 2005
A Journey of Self-Discovery
The Spiral Staircase is an honest and insightful account of Karen Armstrong's spiritual journey of painful self-discovery from the age of seventeen until she was, at long last, led to her true purpose.
At seventeen, Armstrong decided to devote her life to God and entered the Roman Catholic Church. She became a conscientious novitiate but over time began to question the rigid tenets of her ...
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The Bible: A Biography (Books That Changed the World)23 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007
Mind-altering book
The hopes and fears of all my years of Bible study have been met in this book!
Mostly it gave me a new appreciation for the strong influence of the Jewish faith and its practices of scriptural interpretation (exegesis and midrash) on the creation of the New Testament. It cleared up misconceptions I have long held (as a by-product of the commonly held Christian belief in the New Testament as ...
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The Battle for God 124 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Ballantine Books, 2001
Outstanding, Lucid, most helpful
This is the Go-To text on Fundamentalism in religions. Very insightful, very well written, very understandable. Characteristic performance by a good author.
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A Time to Keep Silence (New York Review Books Classics)3 reviews
Patrick Leigh Fermor
NYRB Classics, 2007
"The Inner Empire"
"A Time To Keep Silence" is travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor's beautifully written account of visits to a number of European monasteries (Benedictine and Cistercian) and later to the ruins of an even older Turkish desert community in his efforts to understand the continuing appeal of the monastic way of life. An outsider, Fermor frankly acknowledges his contemporary bias, making it clear he's ...
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The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions48 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Anchor, 2007
Lucid reading
Extremely well-written record of the Axial ages, of the Axial people and the Axial spirituality. This book traces the history of the Aryans, the vedic people in India; the Greeks and their times; the Jews and their spirituality and rituals; the Chinese people and their history. This book is the precursor of Karen Armstrong's book "The history of God".
See my detailed review at [..]
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Buddha73 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Penguin (Non-Classics), 2004
Very Clearly and Well Written
If a person wishes to understand a basic but thorough overview of Buddhism during it's development, this book is very good, in fact, excellent. With a 3 year background of studying Buddhist texts, I found this book to be a Go-To primer to recommend to folks who are interested in the Buddha and want to know more.
HikerBOB
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A Short History of Myth (Myths, The)29 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Canongate U.S., 2006
An excellet introduction
This book offers an excellent presentation of the category of myth--what myths are, why they exist, what they provide, how they function in society as well as in individuals. It is both clear and concise; in no sense is it necessary to be familiar with the field in order to understand it.
Please be advised that the book is not an anthology of myths. It provides an introduction to myth that ...
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A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam197 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Ballantine Books, 1994
A must own for any serious historian
What I love and respect about the author, is how she is open minded and honest enough to challenge the reader to think outside their comfort zone and all they have been taught to believe based on faith and not a serious study of history and how religion whatever the belief system, is something that has evolved and changed over the centuries.
She challenges the reader to study and dissect myth ...
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Sacred: Exhibition Catalogue
British Library, 2007
Sacred is the lush official catalog of the groundbreaking British Library exhibit bearing the same name, which presents many of the world’s most beautiful religious texts for the first time. Illustrations from rare and exquisite examples of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sacred texts from the Library’s collections, along with unique treasures on loan from other institutions, are showcased and accompanied by essays from three of ...
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Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time28 reviews
Karen Armstrong
HarperOne, 2007
Outstanding!
This is an outstanding biography of the last Prophet. I know this is coming from a follower but brief is a strange human phenomenon and who ever believes, he or she knows from the heart that it to be true and whosoever does not -well- they should be curious enought to try to know. I highly recommend a complementary biography of Muhammad by Martin Lings. I would ask people that if you are not a ...
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Visions Of God: Four Medieval Mystics and Their Writings 1 review
Karen Armstrong
Bantam, 1994
A light on the Western mystical tradition
The four medieval mystics discussed here bear witness to the depth and intelligence of English spirituality in the 14th century, and their work may show the way forward for a religion that seems to have become sterile, especially in its Protestant version. Armstrong discusses each of the four mystics in an introduction to selections from their major works that are reproduced here: (a) The ...
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Francis of Assisi: A Revolutionary Life12 reviews
Adrian House, Karen Armstrong
Paulist Press, 2003
This One Compelled Me to Buy It...'Nuff Said
Usually, a historical text such as this one bores me to death with its "educated" language and more detail than one could ever care about. But today, while searching for a birthday gift for a friend who, like me, has been touched by the piety of Francis, I sat and read for an hour, and was compelled. I usually am especially intrigued by the relationship between Frances and his young protegé, ...
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In the Beginning: A New Interpretation of Genesis17 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Ballantine Books, 1997
Genesis would never look the same
A unique view of the book of Genesis, as seen through the eyes of a very intelligent woman. An insightful analysis of the texts done by an expert. Best thing is my beliefs were the same after reading this book, I was expecting either a praise to religion or the tale of a rebel, but this is a serious, well thought and complete approach, the perspective and the book though, are unforgettable.
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Nuns and Soldiers (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)4 reviews
Iris Murdoch
Penguin Classics, 2002
Reading pleasure
Whenever I read an Iris Murdoch novel, I am reminded how much I enjoy and appreciate her work. Her books are always a pleasure to read, and a pleasure that I would be sincerely sorry to miss.
At the moment of the death of her husband, Gertrude is reunited with her best friend from University-- Anne. Anne and Gertrude had been separated when Anne had joined the nunnery, and it is this occasion ...
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Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World 72 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Anchor, 2001
A Necessary Read
This book should be required reading for everyone - and especially for those who form policy in our government. Her book illustrates how important it is to remember the past to avoid being condemned to repeat it.
Armstrong deftly unravels the knots of Crusade history and draws parallels with current events. Her clear uncluttered writing make her well balnced analyses easy to follow. This ...
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Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths26 reviews
Karen Armstrong
Ballantine Books, 1997
Highly informative, yet entertaining!
This book provides a very balanced view of the factors leading to the present day situation in Jerusalem. Although somewhat heavy on the religious influences, not inappropriately so, since this is what made Jerusalem what it is today. I would have liked to have learned more about the situation with the Armenians in that quarter of the city throughout the turmoil of the last few hundred years. The ...
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Through the Narrow Gate, Revised: A Memoir of Spiritual Discovery32 reviews
Karen Armstrong
St. Martin's Griffin, 2005
Captivating Story of Internal Conflict
As this is a book relating to Catholicism, it is fitting for me to start the review with a confession. I bought this book not because I was interested in it, but because I wanted to read its sequel - The Spiral Staircase - and felt I should read this book first. I was not interested all that much in the story of becoming a nun and my only curiosity was how Miss Armstrong would find anything ...
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