A SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 'A stunning blockbuster' Robert
Fisk 'A compelling detective story of the highest order' Sunday
Times In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two
great empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on, and
one had vanished for ever, while the other was a dismembered,
bleeding trunk. In their place, a new superpower had arisen: the
empire of the Arabs. So profound was this upheaval that it spelled,
in effect, the end of the ancient world. But the changes that
marked the period were more than merely political or even cultural:
there was also a transformation of human society with incalculable
consequences for the future. Today, over half the world's
population subscribes to one of the various religions that took on
something like their final form during the last centuries of
antiquity. Wherever men or women are inspired by belief in a single
god to think or behave in a certain way, they bear witness to the
abiding impact of this extraordinary, convulsive age - though as
Tom Holland demonstrates, much of what Jews, Christians and Muslims
believe about the origins of their religion is open to debate. In
the Shadow of the Sword explores how a succession of great empires
came to identify themselves with a new and revolutionary
understanding of the divine. It is a story vivid with drama, horror
and startling achievement, and stars many of the most remarkable
rulers ever seen.
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Review This Product
Mon, 26 Feb 2024 | Review
by: Tanya K.
Holland provides a broad, sweeping history that examines the origins of Islam in context of the politics, various cultures and religions, as well a the time (late antiquity) and place (mostly the near-east). Not an easy feat, since there is a distinct lack of literacy evidence for the events describing the rise of Islam for almost 200 years after the death of Muhammed. This is a compelling story written in a conversational manner. This book is supposedly controversial, but I suspect that is true of any book that questions the dictates of any religion. In any case, I learned new things and now have more things to ruminate on. The book includes maps, a timeline, a glossary, and a dramatis personae.
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