For many years Malise Ruthven has been at the forefront of discerning commentary on the Islamic world and its relations with the predominantly secularized and Christian societies of the West. Well known for his bold interventions on such issues as the Rushdie affair and publication of The Satanic Verses; the many unresolved questions relating to the Lockerbie bombing; and the globe-changing terrorist attack of 9/11, Ruthven's perceptive writings, particularly those that have appeared in the New York Review of Books, reliably re-frame difficult issues and problems so that his readers are...

For many years Malise Ruthven has been at the forefront of discerning commentary on the Islamic world and its relations with the predominantly secularized and Christian societies of the West. Well known for his bold interventions on such issues as the Rushdie affair and publication of The Satanic Verses; the many unresolved questions relating to the Lockerbie bombing; and the globe-changing terrorist attack of 9/11, Ruthven's perceptive writings, particularly those that have appeared in the New York Review of Books, reliably re-frame difficult issues and problems so that his readers are...