Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence

Description: "From the renowned and best-selling author of A History of God, a sweeping exploration of religion's connection to violence. For the first time in American history, religious self-identification is on the decline. Some have cited a perception that began to grow after Sept 11: That faith in general is a source of aggression, intolerance and divisiveness--something bad for society. But how accurate is that view? And does it apply equally to all faiths? In these troubled times, we risk basing decisions of real and dangerous consequence on mistaken understandings of the faiths subscribed around us, in our immediate community as well as globally. And so, with her deep learning and sympathetic understanding, Karen Armstrong examines the impulse toward violence in each of the world's great religions.

Review Quotes: A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE
AN INDEPENDENT BEST BOOK ON RELIGION

"Elegant and powerful. . . . Both erudite and accurate, dazzling in its breadth of knowledge and historical detail." --The Washington Post

"Consistently surprising and illuminating, Fields of Blood should be read by anyone interested in understanding the interaction of religion with violence in the modern world." --The New Republic

"Convincing. . . . Careful, fair and true." --The New York Times Book Review

"Makes a powerful case. . . . The argument is what matters, and hers is strong enough to change minds." --The Christian Science Monitor

"A compelling examination of the true forces underlying religious violence." --The Huffington Post

"Written in a lucid and fleet prose. . . . [Armstrong is] one of the keenest minds working on understanding the role religion plays in cultures around the globe." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Panoramic work. . . . Enjoyable and informative." --Salon

"A valuable, readable rebuttal of a pernicious contemporary myth. . . . Armstrong goes through the centuries and assorted cultures to demonstrate again and again how religious principles and religious leaders were co-opted to support warfare." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"A tour-de-force of the history of the world's major religions. . . . Fields of Blood is thought-provoking as it examines one of the more fascinating elements of human civilization." --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Armstrong is doing us a great service. . . . We feel we are in the hands of an expert." --The Guardian (London)

"Riveting . . . [A] mighty offering . . . Armstrong is one of our most erudite expositors of religion." --The Observer (London)

"Provocative and supremely readable. . . . Bracing as ever, [Armstrong] sweeps through religious history around the globe and over 4,000 years to explain the yoking of religion and violence and to elucidate the ways in which religion has also been used to counter violence." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Epic in scale . . . A comprehensive and erudite study of the history of violence in relation to religion . . . An intriguing read, useful resource and definitive voice in defense of the divine in human culture." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A well-written historical summary of what have traditionally been viewed as 'religious' wars, showing convincingly that in pretty much all cases it was not so much religion as it was political issues that fueled the conflict." --Library Journal (starred review)

"Armstrong again impresses with the breadth of her knowledge and the skill with which she conveys it to us." --Booklist (starred review)