RaveThe Financial Times (UK)Marozzi does not dispute [the] excoriating charge sheet against contemporary Arab regimes. What he does provide is a compelling counterpoint to the present state of affairs by recalling the pluralism, cosmopolitanism and magnificent achievements of the Islamic empires of the past ... It is refreshing to read a book on Islam by someone who combines profound erudition with emotional intelligence and empathy. Marozzi is a historian, traveller, journalist and Arabic speaker who spent most of his professional life in the Muslim world. Yet he wears his learning lightly. His writing style is lively, limpid and graceful and it enables him to turn a vast amount of material into a continuously readable narrative ... Amid all the turmoil in the heart of the Islamic world, he urges his readers not to forget the great achievements of its history and the possibility of a brighter future.
