A great book that denotes the history, social conditions, implications, complications, and creations of Mecca-- and how they shaped and formed the world. ( )

I confess to getting a little lost in the history of the city mid-book, but overall an excellent look at early and modern Islam using the holy city of Mecca as the literary focus. Would recommend reading together with other favourite reads: [b:Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes|6240926|Destiny Disrupted A History of the World through Islamic Eyes|Tamim Ansary|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347700364s/6240926.jpg|6423720],[b:Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire|549752|Lords of the Horizons A History of the Ottoman Empire|Jason Goodwin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312000406s/549752.jpg|1071540], and select chapters from [b:The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism|27309|The Battle for God A History of Fundamentalism|Karen Armstrong|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388197300s/27309.jpg|2229866]. ( )