In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire

A thrillingly panoramic historical account of the rise of Islam, hailed as “a veritable tour de force” (The Wall Street Journal), from the acclaimed author of Rubicon and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is History

“Accessible but delightful . . . as fun to read as any thriller, and with far richer intellectual nutritional content.”—The Daily Beast

Written with verve and panache, In the Shadow of the Sword recounts the history of how the ancient world came to an end and how a new power, Islam, arose. In a story dazzlingly rich in drama, character, and achievement, Tom Holland describes how the Arabs emerged to carve out a stupefyingly vast dominion in a matter of decades, overcoming seemingly insuperable odds to create an imperial civilization, aspects of which endure to the present day. With profound implications for the most consequential events of our time, Holland bears witness to the abiding impact of this extraordinary, convulsive age.