Sacred Rage: The Crusade of Modern Islam

Examines the new fundamentalist Moslem revolution, looks at the car bombings of U.S. facilities in the Middle East, and clears up misconceptions about Islam, Iran, and modern terrorism

The core of this frustrating book re counts in vivid prose the spread of ``a virulent new strain of terrorism'' throughout the contemporary Middle East. Drawing on her many years in the region, Wright discusses those countries where Muslim fundamental ists threaten both their own govern ments and American policy. But this coverage lacks cohesiveness, shifting unsteadily between a fascination with terrorist violence and attempts to ana lyze the situation more seriously. In the final chapter, Wright shows her skill as an experienced and intelligent reporter. She offers a careful plea for greater American understanding of the motivations of political groups in the Islamic world, and a willingness to sub stitute empathy, patience, and toler ance for simplistic rhetoric. Its uneven ness prevents Sacred Rage from being as valuable as either Daniel Pipes's In the Path of God ( LJ 12/1/83) or John L. Esposito's Islam and Politics ( LJ 12/ 84). Elizabeth R. Hayford, President, Associated Colls. of the Midwest, Chi cago
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