This work traces the development of Wahhabism (also known as Salafism), the fundamentalist Islamic ideology that has been identified as responsible for the extremism of Al Qaeda, from its origins in the Arabian Peninsula through its 18th and early 19th century spread into India, Pakistan, and India, where it became even more militant in response to British rule. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)