The Arab Conquests

Description

The story of the seventh- and eighth-century Muslim conquests, when armies inspired by the new religion of Islam burst out of Arabia to build the Islamic Empire. 'This book delivers drama through sublime writing, but mainly through marvellous images... As sharp as the Arabian desert in the midday sun' Gerard DeGroot, The Times, Books of the Year 'An excellent prelude to Marozzi's previous books' Spectator 'Thoroughly good fun... The narration moves swiftly but gracefully from episode to episode' Sunday Times By the time of his death in 632, the Prophet Mohammed had united the feuding tribes of Arabia at the point of his sword. In the decades that followed, armies inspired by the new religion of Islam burst out of Arabia to subjugate the Levant, southwest and Central Asia, North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The Arab Conquests lasted until 750, by which time several generations of marauding Muslim armies had carved out an Islamic empire, soon to be centred on Baghdad, which in size and population rivalled that of Rome at its zenith, extending from the shores of the Atlantic in the west to the borders of China in the east. In the process they had completely crushed one great empire (the old empire of Byzantium), and hollowed out another (that of the Iranian Sasanids). These conquests of the seventh and eighth centuries represent one of the greatest feats of arms in history. Justin Marozzi charts their lightning progress across the Middle East and vast tracts of Asia and explains how an unknown and radically militant faith swept out of the Arabian desert to change the world for ever.

Justin Marozzi has spent most of his professional life living and working in the Muslim world. A former Trustee of the Royal Geographical Society, he is the author of seven books, including the bestselling Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World and the Ondaatje Prize-winning Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood, which was praised by the judges as 'a truly monumental achievement'.

This book delivers drama through sublime writing, but mainly through marvellous images... As sharp as the Arabian desert in the midday sun' -- Gerard DeGroot, The Times Marozzi's sense of landscape [...] and five appendices from different contemporary sources, gives The Arab Conquests particular immediacy and authenticity * Catholic Herald * Thoroughly good fun... The narration moves swiftly but gracefully from episode to episode' * Sunday Times * An excellent prelude to Marozzi's previous books * Spectator * A refreshing and fair retelling of arguably the most important and influential social upheaval of the Middle Ages * Middle East Monitor * A travel writer and historian blended into one, he delivers drama through fine writing, but also through marvellous images. In this beautiful book illustrations stir the imagination in a way that mere words cannot * The Times, '21 best history books of 2021' * A swashbuckling tale with a racy narrative, vibrant evocations of place, characteristic sense of humour and clever use of original sources * Aspects of History *