Karen Armstrong was born in Worcestershire. She spent seven years in the Society of the Holy Child Jesus during the 1960s and later wrote a tell-all book, Through the Narrow Gate (1982) that bemoaned the restrictive life. She explored what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common in A History of God (1993), Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths (1996) and The Battle for God (2000) which all focus on what unites the three great monotheist faiths. Her more recent books include Islam: A Short History and Buddha, which was an international bestseller. Armstrong teaches Christianity at London’s Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism. She lives in London.