Tom had said to me that he necessarily had to condense his arguments to fit in with the running time for the tv documentary, but was able to make a much fuller presentation in his book. You can read this ebook on any device that supports drmfree epub or drmfree pdf format. While books that i buy often go straight into my large reading backlog, in this case i read the book shortly after buying it. In the shadow of the sword, tom holland explores how this came about. Tom holland writes epic texts on epic ancient history. The battle for global empire and the end of the ancient world by tom holland, in good condition. The birth of islam and the rise of the global arab empire tom holland 9780307473653. Spanning from constantinople to the arabian dessert, and starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived, he tells a story vivid with drama, horror, and startling achievement. Our cheap used books come with free delivery in the us. Tom holland is an awardwinning historian, author and broadcaster. Every bit as thrilling a narrative history as holland s previous works, in the shadow of the sword is also a profoundly important book.
Holland is the author of two extremely successful works of ancient. It says nothing about how the split between sunni and shia occurred. In the shadow of the sword audiobook by tom holland. The publisher has supplied this book in drm free form with digital watermarking. The battle for global empire and the end of the ancient world by tom holland summary a historical account of the rise of islam requires historical evidence in the form of manuscripts, coins, buildings, inscriptions and other tangible remains. The roman realm was highly diminished surely, it did exclude rome, and both it and its long haul adversary toward the east were depleted by both a quarter century frantic war against each other and by populace slicing flareups. A compelling detective story of the highest order, in the shadow of the sword is also a dazzlingly colourful journey into the world of late antiquity. 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. As best i can tell, tom holland deserves to be commended for his research. In the shadow of the sword npr coverage of in the shadow of the sword. In the shadow of the sword by tom holland used good. Further to my twitter discussion with tom holland regarding his controversial c4 documentary islam.
In the shadow of the sword seems like an attempt by author, agent and publisher to create a very different account of early islam, but fortunately the quality of the book stands in the way. A masterful history of romes first imperial dynasty by the awardwinning author of rubicon, persian fire and in the shadow of the sword. The two observations discussed in the interview that struck me were holland s claim that the qurans. In the shadow of the sword by tom holland is an overview of the predecessors of islam and islams first hundred years. In the shadow of the sword quotes showing 124 of 24 the supreme achievement of the jewish and christian scholars of the age was to craft a history of their respective faiths that cast themselves as its rightful and inevitable culmination, and left anything that might have served to contradict such an impression out of the story altogether. According to holland, to understand the origins of. Awarded the navy cross for gallantry under fire, staff sergeant jeremiah workman is one of the marine corps bestknown contemporary combat veterans. Review of in the shadow of the sword by tom holland. The untold story last month, i decided purchase his book in the shadow of the sword. Holland confronts questions in the quranic text headon, providing a substantive, fluent exegesis on the original documents.
The evolution of the arab empire is one of the supreme narratives of ancient history, a story dazzlingly rich in. In the shadow of the sword by tom holland hachette uk. Tom holland is speaking about his book at the telegraph hay. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers all about in the shadow of the sword. The birth of islam and the rise of the global arab empire by tom holland. In the shadow of the sword by tom holland overdrive. Tom holland is the author of rubicon, persian fire, the forge of christendom, and in the shadow of the sword and is the translator of the histories by herodotus. In the shadow of the sword is his dauntingly vast account of the religious realities of the first five hundred years of christianity. Historian tom holland is the author of several nonfiction works of history, including rubicon, persian fire, and the forge of christendom.
Persian fire, his history of the graecopersian wars, won the anglohellenic leagues runciman award in 2006. Pdf in the shadow of the sword download read online free. In the shadow of the sword by tom holland, 9780307473653, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. By ad600, the established world was route past its prime. In that respect, in the shadow of the sword did not disappoint. The battle for global empire and the end of the ancient world by tom holland isbn. In the shadow of the sword by tom holland in this thrilling. In the shadow of the sword, by tom holland the independent. Spanning from constantinople to the arabian desert, and starring some of the. His writing, on the other hand, leaves a little to be desired. Tom holland is a historian of the ancient world and a translator. Published by anchor in 201 i bought this book because i was blown away by dan snows interview of tom holland about this book, which can be found on historyhits. The triumph and tragedy of the roman republic, persian fire, in the shadow of the sword and the forge of christendom.
Tom holland s in the shadow of the sword is an ambitious attempt to unearth the roots of islam an iznik ceramic plaque showing the shrine of the kaaba in mecca photo. What disappointed you about in the shadow of the sword. In a book that challenges most of the first principles of islamic exceptionalism, holland portrays the vast arab empire that was amassed between. Tom holland explains new book in the shadow of the sword in an excerpt from his new history of islam, in the shadow of the sword, tom holland explains why he has. I found myself amused, diverted and enchanted by turn. Our cheap used books come with free delivery in the uk.
It is a story vivid with drama, horror and startling achievement, and stars many of the most remarkable rulers ever seen. After dealing with the early romans in rubicon and the struggles between persia and greece in persian fire, he moves on to the origins of islam. Two thirds of the book are a history of all of the cultural events leading up to the birth of islam. He has adapted homer, herodotus, thucydides and virgil for the bbc. The author, tom holland, had previously written two works on ancient history.
Like his earlier books, in the shadow of the swor d abridges centuries of history into a grand, riveting narrative. Memorys imperfect fabric is the platform from which tom holland plunges into the story of the rise of islam in his latest book, in the shadow of the sword. Rubicon was shortlisted for the samuel johnson prize and won the 2004 hesselltiltman prize for history, and persian fire won the anglohellenic leagues 2006 runciman. In this searing and inspiring memoir, he tells an unforgettable story of his service overseasand of the emotional wars that continue to rage long after our fighting men come home. In the shadow of the sword may reach provocative conclusions, but it is also a work of impressive sensitivity and scholarship. In the shadow of the sword is a history book charting the origins of islam. Tom holland is the successful author of several books of ancient history, two of which persian fire and rubicon are ones i frequently recommend as great history. It describes well the vacuum of power that existed in the 5th and 6th century that allowed islam to expand, almost at will. The book spans thousands of years, and in presenting his history, holland often weaves together events that occurred many, many years apart. In the shadow of the sword remains a spellbindingly brilliant multiple portrait of the triumph of monotheism in the ancient world barnaby rogerson independent tom holland is a writer of clarity and expertise, who talks us through this unfamiliar. The last years of the roman republic, which charted the fall of the roman republic, and persian fire, which is an account of the grecopersian wars during the 5th century bc. Rubicon was shortlisted for the samuel johnson prize and won the 2004 hesselltiltman prize for history, and persian fire won the anglohellenic leagues 2006 runciman award. Tom holland in the shadow of the sword audiobook free. In this exciting and sweeping historythe third in his trilogy of books on the ancient worldholland describes how the arabs emerged to carve out a stupefyingly.
Click to read more about in the shadow of the sword. Tom holland in the shadow of the sword a thrillingly panoramic and incredibly timely account of the rise of islam, from the acclaimed author of rubicon and persian fire. The triumph and the tragedy of the roman republic, which won the hesselltiltman prize for history and was shortlisted for the samuel johnson prize. Tom holland has done exactly this in his brilliantly provocative new book and we must hope that heaven is smiling on him now.
The ostensible subject at the heart of in the shadow of the sword is the sudden and totally unexpected rise of the arab empire of the caliphate in. The battle for global empire and the end of the ancient world export ed by holland, tom isbn. In the shadow of the sword tom holland audiobook part 1. In his sprawling new book tom holland undertakes to explain nothing less than the origin of islam.