The usual bias of history writers is to focus on violent conflicts, while glossing over many less exciting developments in the quality of everyday life. Karabell tries to counter this, and to give at least equal time to the more normal periods of peace, tolleration, or creative cooperation between the three religions of the book.

Assuming the reader has a rough idea of Christian and Jewish history, Karabell focuses on the evolution of Muslim relations with Jews and Christians. He also centers on the Near East-Mediterranean zone where the three religions have mixed together longest. This basically leaves out the history of Islam eastwards of Iraq.

The book highlights many cases of mutual influence and learning between the three religions. It shows how their relations have usually involved shared benefits, even during the recent colonial period, where mainly Christian nations conquered almost all the Muslim world.

The usual bias of history writers is to focus on violent conflicts, while glossing over many less exciting developments in the quality of everyday life. Karabell tries to counter this, and to give at least equal time to the more normal periods of peace, tolleration, or creative cooperation between the three religions of the book.

Assuming the reader has a rough idea of Christian and Jewish history, Karabell focuses on the evolution of Muslim relations with Jews and Christians. He also centers on the Near East-Mediterranean zone where the three religions have mixed together longest. This basically leaves out the history of Islam eastwards of Iraq.

The book highlights many cases of mutual influence and learning between the three religions. It shows how their relations have usually involved shared benefits, even during the recent colonial period, where mainly Christian nations conquered almost all the Muslim world.

For the most part Karabell does a fine job of analyzing the past. While the Muslim conquests were not wars of religion, as perceived by the West, they were wars that stirred up the whole Mediterranean, Europe and Asia. In a few minor points Karabell made mistakes about history. One example is that Timur, (Tamarlane) was Muslim.

The larger error is about the present. While Karabell is correct that the 20th Century brought confusion to the Muslim world and those who emphasize reason are in retreat he fails to discuss the bigger picture. In norther Nigeria the attempt to force Christians and Animists to obey Sharia affects their everyday life. The burning of churches and the killing of Christians in Nigeria, Egypt and Pakistan are constant themes. The Egyptian government prevents Christians from repairing churches. In Saudi Arabia religions besides Wahhabi Isam are banned.

He does do a good analysis of the affects of Western and particularly American military actions on the relations between Muslims and Christians today. Curiously under Saddam Hussein Christians received better treatment than they do today.

All in all a very good book. It's just his analysis of the present that needs work.