Islamic Fundamentalism » (Revised and Updated Edition)

LAWRENCE DAVIDSON is Professor of History at West Chester University.

A one-stop guide to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, its worldview, and the actions and aims of those who adhere to it.

Library Journal

Every day the news media present to us images of Middle Eastern hijackers or of suicide bombers blowing themselves up. Who are these terrorists? The media tell us that they are Islamic fundamentalists and mislead us into thinking that Muslim equals fundamentalist equals terrorist. Davidson (Middle Eastern history, West Chester Univ.) corrects this mistaken view. His book breaks no new ground in its 86-page narrative of the rise of modern Islamic fundamentalism, but it gathers and summarizes much useful information. In addition, Davidson provides a year-by-year chronology, a collection of biographies of theorists and leaders, and a selection of primary source documents. The text is readable and nontechnical and will appeal both to casual and more specialized readers. This useful reference is suitable for both public and academic libraries.James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, Va.