In the Shadow of the Sword. The Emergence of Islam and the Struggle for the Arabian Empire

In the VI century The Middle East was divided between two great empires - Persian and Roman. It took a hundred years, and a new superpower appeared in their place - the Arab Empire. The changes that occurred during this period were not only political or cultural - the transformation of human society happened, its consequences were huge. Today, more than half of the world population professes one or another religion, which were made precisely in the period of late antiquity. And how convincingly proves Tom Holland, all that they believe today, Christians and Muslims regarding the origins of their religions, are far from definitely.
Exploring the understanding of the Divine in the minds of the residents of the Great Empires, the author leads a story about wars and places, emperors in the luxurious palaces and the martyrs covered with ulcers on the pillars, about crowded cities and deserted deserts. This story is full of drama and amazing discoveries