In this gripping narrative history, Lesley Hazleton tells the tragic story at the heart of the ongoing rivalry between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam.“Fascinating. . . . Lively and engaging. . . . Anyone seeking to understand today’s Middle East can learn from this book."—Seattle TimesEven as Muhammad lay dying, the battle over who would take control of the new Islamic nation had begun, beginning a succession crisis marked by...

**The extraordinary life of the man who founded Islam, and the world he inhabited—and remade.Lesley Hazleton's new book, Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto, is out now from Riverhead Books.**Muhammad’s was a life of almost unparalleled historical importance; yet for all the iconic power of his name, the intensely dramatic story of the prophet of Islam is not well known. In The First Muslim, Lesley Hazleton brings him vibrantly to life. Drawing on early eyewitn...

**“Vital” –The New York Times Book Review“Provocative…[Hazleton] paddles the river of doubt with energy and exuberance.” –The Seattle TimesA widely admired writer on religion celebrates agnosticism as the most vibrant, engaging—and ultimately the most honest—stance toward the mysteries of existence.**One in four Americans reject any affiliation with organized religion, and nearly half of those under thirty describe themselves as “spiritual but not ...

There is no woman with a worse reputation than Jezebel, the ancient queen who corrupted a nation and met one of the most gruesome fates in the Bible. Her name alone speaks of sexual decadence and promiscuity. But what if this version of her story, handed down to us through the ages, is merely the one her enemies wanted us to believe? What if Jezebel, far from being a conniving harlot, was, in fact, framed?In this remarkable new biography, Lesley Hazleton shows exactly how the proud ...

Muhammad's was a life of almost unparalleled historical importance; yet for all the iconic power of his name, the intensely dramatic story of the prophet of Islam is not well known. In The First Muslim, Lesley Hazleton brings him vibrantly to life. Drawing on early eyewitness sources and on history, politics, religion, and psychology, she renders him as a man in full, in all his complexity and vitality.Hazleton's account follows the arc of Muhammad's rise from powerlessnes...

In this gripping narrative history, Lesley Hazleton tells the tragic story at the heart of the ongoing rivalry between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, a rift that dominates the news now more than ever.Even as Muhammad lay dying, the battle over who would take control of the new Islamic nation had begun, sparking a succession crisis marked by power grabs, assassination, political intrigue, and passionate faith. Soon Islam was embroiled in civil war, pitting its founder’s contr...

**“Vital” –The New York Times Book Review“Provocative…[Hazleton] paddles the river of doubt with energy and exuberance.” –The Seattle TimesA widely admired writer on religion celebrates agnosticism as the most vibrant, engaging—and ultimately the most honest—stance toward the mysteries of existence.**One in four Americans reject any affiliation with organized religion, and nearly half of those under thirty describe themselves as “spiritual but not ...