80,000+ Books in-stock in NZ 📚

Winter Reads Sale! Enjoy up to 20% off 1,700 books! 🚀

Lives: Buddha

By Karen Armstrong
Series: LIVES
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.91 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 5,633 ratings, 516 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Lives: Buddha by Karen Armstrong explores the life and legacy of Siddhatta Gotama, the founder of Buddhism. The book traces his journey from his privileged birth in the fifth century BC, through his renunciation of worldly life, to his enlightenment under the Banyan tree. Armstrong skillfully blends historical facts with ancient myth to narrate key moments, including Buddha's political influence, the schisms among his followers, and his peaceful death. The work also introduces the core principles of Buddhism, revealing its enduring relevance in addressing modern secular anxieties through teachings on selflessness and simplicity.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Lives: Buddha. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in religion, spirituality, and philosophy, especially those seeking a clear and engaging introduction to Buddhism and its founder. It suits both newcomers to the subject and those looking to deepen their understanding of religious thought.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A superb introduction to the life and thought of a revolutionary spiritual thinker.
'Karen Armstrong has been one of the most persistent and powerful voices in the eminently respectable task of popularising religious scholarship in the anglophone world' GUARDIAN

Karen Armstrong is a best-selling author She has a high media profile and is one of the world's greatest authorities on religious affairs BUDDHA was on the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list for five weeks Karen Armstrong is the author of the worldwide best-seller, A HISTORY OF GOD, which has now appeared in more than thirty languages 'This concise but admirably comprehensive study...Armstrong picks her way through this metaphysical minefield with commendable clarity. She makes an impressive job of marshalling her resources' LITERARY REVIEW 'A fascinating book...It is hard to imagine a clearer, more concise or more authoritative introduction to one of the world's most influential (yet shadowy) spiritual figures' THE TIMES

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Buddhism is a faith that commands over 100 million followers throughout the world. Buddha revolutionised the religious ideas of his time to advocate a new way of living. All that is known about him comes from a collection of ancient writings that fuse history, biography, and myth.

Karen Armstrong distils from these the key events of Buddha's life: his birth as Siddhatta Gotama in the fifth century BC and his abandonment of his wife and son; his attainment of enlightenment under the Banyan tree; his political influence; the divisions among his followers; and his serene death. Armstrong also introduces the key tenets of Buddhism.

In our own age of secular anxiety, she shows that it has profound lessons to teach about selflessness and the simple life.

Series: LIVES

View all

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Karen Armstrong is praised for bridging the gap between academic theology and general readers, offering a broad and accessible narrative. Reviews from The Guardian note her ability to connect scholarly ideas with a public audience, while TLS recognises her as a persistent and powerful voice in popularising religious scholarship over the past forty years.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780753813409

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 March 2002

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 199.0mm

Weight: 201g

Pages: 224

Collections

Karen Armstrong Non-Fiction Religion & Spirituality Series: LIVES

About the Author

Karen Armstrong spent seven years as a Roman Catholic nun, an experience she recollected in her two volumes of best-selling autobiography, Through the Narrow Gate and Beginning the World. She is the author of the world-wide best-seller, A History of God (which has now appeared in more than thirty languages), the acclaimed History of Jerusalem and, most recently, The Battle foe God. She is a teacher at the Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism and, in 1999, she received the Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award.

Also by Karen Armstrong

View all

More from Religion & Spirituality

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

The Latest at Book Hero

View all