{"product_id":"among-the-believers-an-islamic-journey-vs-naipaul-9780394711959","title":"Among the Believers | V. S. Naipaul","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAmong the Believers: An Islamic Journey | V. S. Naipaul\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat happens when a Nobel laureate travels across four countries to examine the resurgence of fundamentalist Islam? \u003cstrong\u003eV.S. Naipaul \u003c\/strong\u003einvestigates firsthand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eNobel Prize-winning author\u003c\/strong\u003e gives us—on the basis of his own intensive seventeen month journey across the Asian continent—an unprecedented revelation of the Islamic world. • \u003cem\u003e“A brilliant report…. A book of scathing inquiry and judgment, whose tragic power is being continually reinforced by current events”\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e(Newsweek)\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Book:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith all the narrative power and intellectual authority that have distinguished his earlier books and won him international acclaim (“There can hardly be a writer alive who surpasses him”—Irving Howe, The New York Times Book Review), Naipaul explores the life, the culture, the ferment inside the nations of Islam—in a book that combines the fascinations of the great works of travel literature with the insights of a uniquely sharp, original, and idiosyncratic political mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe takes us into four countries in the throes of “Islamization”—countries that, in their ardor to build new societies based entirely on the fundamental laws of Islam, have violently rejected the “materialism” of the technologically advanced nations that have long supported them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe brings us close to the people of Islam—how they live and work, the role of faith in their lives, how they see their place in the modern world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFrequently Asked Questions About \u003cem\u003eAmong the Believers\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ:\u003c\/strong\u003e Is this book an abstract academic study of theology or a personal travel narrative?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e It functions as a deeply immersive, narrative-driven work of investigative travel literature. Instead of parsing scriptural theory in a library, the author chronicles a grueling, seven-month physical journey across the Asian continent to observe how massive socio-political shifts alter everyday communities in real-time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eWhat specific historical era and geographical landscape are explored inside?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e The narrative acts as a direct, unvarnished eyewitness account captured immediately following the historic 1979 Iranian Revolution. Naipaul systematically travels through four prominent non-Arab nations undergoing intense fundamentalist transitions: Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eDoes the author approach his subjects with a sympathetic or a critical viewpoint?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA:\u003c\/strong\u003e Naipaul is widely recognized for his highly critical, unsparing, and fiercely independent intellectual perspective. He intentionally avoids sugarcoating his observations, actively contrasting the intense spiritual passion of the young \"believers\" he interviews against the severe economic, political, and historical contradictions facing their rapidly changing societies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eHow are the insights inside the text sourced and structured?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eThe book relies entirely on primary, face-to-face oral histories and local immersion. Naipaul moves past official government spokespeople to conduct highly detailed interviews with average citizens—including university students, rural families, religious teachers, and newly radicalized youth—capturing their personal motivations for rejecting Western materialism.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQ: \u003c\/strong\u003eDid this book contribute to V. S. Naipaul winning the Nobel Prize in Literature?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eYes. When Naipaul was awarded the \u003cstrong\u003eNobel Prize in Literature\u003c\/strong\u003e in 2001, the Nobel Committee specifically celebrated his monumental body of non-fiction travelogues. Among the Believers is globally considered one of his definitive masterworks, praised for its predictive cultural accuracy regarding global geopolitics decades before the events unfolded.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eV. S. Naipaul: \u003c\/strong\u003eBritish Writer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul \u003c\/strong\u003ewas born of Indian ancestry in Chaguanas, Trinidad on August 17, 1932.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was educated at University College, Oxford and lived in Great Britain since 1950. From 1954 to 1956, he edited a radio program on literature for the British Broadcasting Corporation's Caribbean Service. His first novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Mystic Masseur\u003c\/em\u003e, was published in 1957. His other novels included \u003cem\u003eA House for Mr. Biswas\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eA Bend in the River\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGuerrillas\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eHalf a Life\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eIn a Free State\u003c\/em\u003e won the Booker Prize in 1971. He started writing nonfiction in the 1960s. His first nonfiction book, \u003cem\u003eThe Middle Passage\u003c\/em\u003e, was published in 1962.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis other nonfiction works included \u003cem\u003eAn Area of Darkness\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAmong the Believers\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBeyond Belief\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eA Turn in the South\u003c\/em\u003e. He was knighted in 1990 and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"\u003eHe died on August 11, 2018 at the age of 85.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBibliographic Data:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFull Title:\u003c\/strong\u003e Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor(s): \u003c\/strong\u003eV. S. Naipaul\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher \u0026amp; Imprint:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vintage Books (An imprint of Knopf Doubleday \/ Penguin Random House; original series catalog footprint tied to original 1982 Vintage Trade distribution)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/strong\u003e1982 (First Vintage Books Edition; original hardcover published 1981)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBook Binding Format: \u003c\/strong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pre-Owned \/ Very Good\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition: \u003c\/strong\u003eTrade Paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrint Length:\u003c\/strong\u003e 448 Pages (Exact standard text pagination run)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e English\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/strong\u003e9780394711959\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0394711955\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLibrary of Congress (LCCN): \u003c\/strong\u003e81-047321\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary Genre (BISAC):\u003c\/strong\u003e TRAVEL \/ Essays \u0026amp; Travelogues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSub-Genres (BISAC):\u003c\/strong\u003e POLITICAL SCIENCE \/ Political Ideologies \/ Radicalism; RELIGION \/ Islam \/ History; HISTORY \/ Asia \/ General\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.2 x 0.9 x 8.0 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight: \u003c\/strong\u003e13.6 oz (approx. 0.85 lbs)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGraby Your Copy!\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExplore a landmark, controversial travelogue examining religious revival and politics across Asia. Tap to discover V.S. Naipaul's classic work today!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51542970007867,"sku":"0394711955","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780394711959.png?v=1787664397","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/among-the-believers-an-islamic-journey-vs-naipaul-9780394711959","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}