islam and world politics

Presents a comprehensive study of the siege of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks, and describes how Mehmet II defeated Constantine XI with new weaponry which included gunpowder and a twenty-seven-foot-long cannon called the Basilica.

Recounts the author's cultural discoveries and insights, while working as ambassador to the United Nations, into the connections between Islam and Christianity, arguing that making friends with people from a different background is what is needed in the political landscape of the twenty-first century.

Examines the inner logic of al-Qaida and other like minded extremist groups that was used to justify terrorist attacks around the world, including the September 11, 2001, attack.

Contains twelve essays that offer varying perspectives on issues related to Islamic fundamentalism, including jihad, institutionalized Christianity inciting the growth of Islamism, the United States' relation to Islamism, and other topics; and provides contact information for organizations and a bibliography.

Contains twenty articles and excerpts that provide a variety of perspectives on Islam and the Western world, discussing Islam's view of the West, the West's view of Islam, confrontation, jihad, and Islam in Europe.