PositiveThe Philadelphia InquirerA former Newsweek bureau chief and foreign correspondent, Joshua Hammer possesses a knowledge of the Middle East and North Africa, Islam and jihadists, that gives the book authority and authenticity ... Hammer crafts a thoughtful history of the Middle East and Africa in a narrative that goes beyond the one- and two-dimensional views popular today. He writes matter-of-factly about the intellectual depth and integrity of ancient civilizations that have long been dismissed or disputed by Western scholars.
