Thursday, June 15, 2006

Karen Armstrong: Unmasked

Karen Armstrong is a best selling author and intriguing personality. Her book, 'A History of God,' is a prominent feature at this year's Shavua HaSefer. People swear by her scholarship. (In fact, the editor of Maariv once boasted that, as opposed to the rest of the Israeli elite, he is au courant because he reads Ms. Armstrong.)

The problem is that she is more a publicist/apologist for Jihadi Islam (See her book on the Crusades, which a colleague of mine on Mediev-l admitted was highly problematic and not worth much. It was, however, a best-seller. ). On the other hand, she is no historian, as this review of her book on Jerusalem by Professor Norman Golb shows.

Caveat Lector!

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