Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes - Hardcover

Ansary, Tamim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1586486063 ISBN 13: 9781586486068

Publisher: PublicAffairs, 2009

Synopsis

We in the west share a common narrative of world history—that runs from the Nile Valley and Mesopotomia, through Greece and Rome and the French Revolution, to the rise of the secular state and the triumph of democracy. But our story largely omits a whole civilization that until quite recently saw itself at the center of world history, and whose citizens shared an entirely different narrative for a thousand years.

In Destiny Disrupted, Tamim Ansary tells the rich story of world history as the Islamic world saw it, from the time of Mohammed to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and beyond. He clarifies why our civilizations grew up oblivious to each other, what happened when they intersected, and how the Islamic world was affected by its slow recognition that Europe—a place it long perceived as primitive and disorganized—had somehow hijacked destiny. Entertaining and enlightening, Destiny Disrupted also offers a vital perspective on current conflicts.

About this title

About the Author

Tamim Ansary is the author of the memoir West of Kabul, East of New York, co-author with Farah Ahmadi of the New York Times bestseller The Other Side of the Sky, and has been a major contributing writer to several secondary school history textbooks. Ansary is director of the San Francisco Writers Workshop. He writes for Encarta.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, Alternet, Edutopia, Parade, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications.

From AudioFile

This is the audiobook about Islam you've been waiting for. Ansary's presentation of Islamic history, ideas, and values, explained from an American point of view, makes clear material that can seem opaque in a lengthy textbook or lecture series. Ansary's strong, warm voice adds enormously to his powerful discourse. His matter-of-fact tone prevents the listener from being overwhelmed by his apparently effortless authority regarding the early Khalifa, Mongol dynasties, Liebnitz, and 9/11. His slight Afghan accent makes his presentation more personal. Only the numerous, and absolutely necessary, Arabic words can be a challenge for the listener. F.C. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1586486063
• ISBN 13: 9781586486068
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416