In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on, and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In The Shadow of the Sword, Tom Holland explores how this came about. Spanning Constantinople to the Arabian desert, and starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived, he tells a story vivid with drama, horror and startling achievement.
- ISBN10 0385531354
- ISBN13 9780385531351
- Publish Date 15 May 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
- Publish Status Out of Stock
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Doubleday Books
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 526
- Language English