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Sword and Scimitar

Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West

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Sword and Scimitar

Written by: Raymond Ibrahim, Victor Davis Hanson - foreword
Narrated by: John McLain
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About this listen

A sweeping history of the often-violent conflict between Islam and the West, shedding a revealing light on current hostilities

The West and Islam - the sword and scimitar - have clashed since the 17th century, when, according to Muslim tradition, the Roman emperor rejected Prophet Muhammad's order to abandon Christianity and convert to Islam, unleashing a centuries-long jihad on Christendom.

Sword and Scimitar chronicles the decisive battles that arose from this ages-old Islamic jihad, beginning with the first major Islamic attack on Christian land in 636 through the Muslim occupation of nearly three quarters of Christendom which prompted the Crusades, followed by renewed Muslim conquests by Turks and Tatars to the European colonization of the Muslim world in the 1800s, when Islam largely went on the retreat - until its reemergence in recent times. Using original sources in Arabic and Greek, preeminent historian Raymond Ibrahim describes each battle in vivid detail and explains how these wars and the larger historical currents of the age reflect the cultural fault lines between Islam and the West.

The majority of these landmark battles - including the battles of Yarmuk, Tours, Manzikert, the sieges at Constantinople and Vienna, and the crusades in Syria and Spain - are now forgotten or considered inconsequential. Yet today, as the West faces a resurgence of this enduring Islamic jihad, Sword and Scimitar provides the needed historical context to understand the current relationship between the West and the Islamic world - and why the Islamic State is merely the latest chapter of an old history.

©2018 Raymond Ibrahim (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Ancient Europe History Islam Middle East Military Religious Studies World Ancient History Crusade Ottoman Empire Imperialism Siege War
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Utterly Sensational

I was blown away, this was absolutely stunning in depth, the engagements from a historical perspective was intriguing. This should be mandatory reading in schools.

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Awesome eye opener

Simply put, those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it. This book was an awesome reminder that collective amnesia is a threat to the livelihood of our children.

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Well written book about forgotten history

The parallels to radical Islam today and Islamic expansion in the past are disturbing. Once you listen to this audio book you'll understand what the likes of Sam Harris are saying about a 1400 y.o. operating system in the minds of individuals who join ISIS. There's a lot of historical precedent documented here that explains the mentality and resulting behaviours of ISIS fighters. Great book that sheds light on history post-Roman Empire that always seemed taught in a peculiar, sparse manner.

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Highly biased Not Historic at all

Was looking for details on battle but it was mostly bashing the religion of Islam. Mostly using quotes from Ex Muslims who have biases. Hopefully readers will look at alternative sources to get their facts.

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