The West is being challenged by Islam. From a historical point of view was this really so unexpected? The present state of affairs can be traced to the trauma the Islamic world has suffered during past centuries, and to the resulting backlash. In this book, Marc Ferro examines and juxtaposes various different points of view. Should Islam be modernised or should modernity be Islamised, he asks, while taking the reader on an candid journey of discovery. This is an indispensable book to understand today’s world, and to anticipate the world of tomorrow.

Marc Ferro is a director of studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. He is the author of Histoire de France, published by Editions Odile Jacob.