After the Prophet

This book was fascinating. What's more? It was not nearly as dry as I thought it would be.

Hazleton delivers the information with a narrative arc while chronicling the events that lead to the split between Sunni and Shia Islam.

I fully appreciated the light biographical references to the prophet Muhammad, substituted instead for a more robust illustration of Aisha and Ali. The author's description of her as a coquettish, capricious and impetuous teenager is brilliant. If the research is pure, the descriptions are altogether plausible. This added a level of detail and interest I did not foresee.

Many people I have questioned about this topic often simplify the circumstances and the history. I now know why they do that. This is a complicated story and it is not easy to simplify once you begin to understand the history. I won't spoil it for you, as Hazleton's description is too well done.