Islamic peoples account for one fifth of the world's population and yet there is widespread misunderstanding in the West of what Islam really is. Francis Robinson and his team set out to address this, revealing the complex and sometimes contrary nature of Muslim culture. As well as taking on the issues uppermost in everyone's minds, such as the role of religious and political fundamentalism, they demonstrate the importance of commerce; literacy and learning; Islamic art; the effects of immigration, exodus, and conquest; and the roots of current crises in the Middle East, Bosnia, and the Gulf. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the interaction between Islam and the West, from the first Latin translations of the Quran to the fatwa on Salman Rushdie. This elegant book deliberately sets out to dismantle the Western impression of Islam as a monolithic world and replace it with a balanced view, from current issues of fundamentalism to its dynamic culture and art. Francis Robinson is the editor of two outstanding reference works: Atlas of the Islamic World Since 1500 (Cambridge, 1982) and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India (1989).

This lavishly illustrated work by two renowned scholars narrates the history of the spread of Islam all over the world, from its birth in Arabia in the seventh century to the present day. Islam remains an active and stillspreading phenomenon whose influence in different parts of the world is profound, and, to many non-Muslims, mysterious and little understood. With its 180 maps, 200 illustrations and carefully prepared text, the book brings clarity and under-standing to a religious and cultural force of great contemporary significance.

Maps, illustrations, and photographs offer a comprehensive overview of the history of Islam.

It is reported that 60 per cent of organizations have suffered a data security breach in the past two years and 43 per cent of those that have sensitive or critical information have suffered an extremely serious one. With the growing importance of IT to both internal systems and external e-commerce, this may be alarming, but perhaps not surprising. What is surprising is that, up until very recently, data security has been seen as the province of the IT department rather than, as it should be, a key boardroom issue for the e-commerce age.

An in-depth study of the history, ideology, culture and traditions of Islam, discussing the core beliefs, practices and sacred texts central to the religion, and an exploration of Islamic artistic and architectural achievements, shown in 1000 photographs and paintings. ,

Lavishly illustrated with over 300 pictures, including more than 200 in full color, The Oxford History of Islam offers the most wide-ranging and authoritative account available of the second largest--and fastest growing--religion in the world. John L. Esposito, Editor-in-Chief of the four-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, has gathered together sixteen leading scholars, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to examine the origins and historical development of Islam--its faith, community, institutions, sciences, and arts. Beginning in the pre-Islamic Arab world, the chapters range from the story of Muhammad and his Companions, to the development of Islamic religion and culture and the empires that grew from it, to the influence that Islam has on today's world. The book covers a wide array of subjects, casting light on topics such as the historical encounter of Islam and Christianity, the role of Islam in the Mughal and Ottoman empires, the growth of Islam in Southeast Asia, China, and Africa, the political, economic, and religious challenges of European imperialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and Islamic communities in the modern Western world. In addition, the book offers excellent articles on Islamic religion, art and architecture, and sciences as well as bibliographies. Events in the contemporary world have led to an explosion of interest and scholarly work on Islam. Written for the general reader but also appealing to specialists, The Oxford History of Islam offers the best of that recent scholarship, presented in a readable style and complemented by a rich variety of illustrations.