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A review by felix_matteo
In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire by Tom Holland
5.0
Though at times meandering, Tom Holland's exploration of the births and infancies of the three major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) takes readers on a vividly detailed and thoroughly researched journey through Late Antiquity. The Fertile Crescent and its environs were under constant threat of war between the two "global" superpowers of the time, Constantine's Eastern Roman Empire and the Sasanian Persian Empire, each of which sought to unite the world under one banner - and one God.
In telling this historical tale (which spans from roughly AD 200 to AD 800), Holland provides a context for the times as well as the trajectories of the three religions over time as each of them fell in and out of favor with various rulers and their dynasties, which helped to shape them and the worlds around them. As one digs deeper, it becomes clear that the beliefs ascribed to these religions are as much the consequence of the political machinations of the time as any mandate from Heaven, and Holland lays out said politics in fascinating detail.
My one criticism of the book is that it can be quite dry, and I often found myself flipping back to the glossary to remember who such-and-such a Parthian dynast was, and why his grandfather was important. It's also worth noting that the titular religion of Islam doesn't make an appearance until roughly the last third of the story, and so perhaps the title is a bit misleading.
In any case, I would consider this a must-read for theological history buffs, and anyone who wants a grounded view of early religion and some insight into why we are where we are in today's modern world.
In telling this historical tale (which spans from roughly AD 200 to AD 800), Holland provides a context for the times as well as the trajectories of the three religions over time as each of them fell in and out of favor with various rulers and their dynasties, which helped to shape them and the worlds around them. As one digs deeper, it becomes clear that the beliefs ascribed to these religions are as much the consequence of the political machinations of the time as any mandate from Heaven, and Holland lays out said politics in fascinating detail.
My one criticism of the book is that it can be quite dry, and I often found myself flipping back to the glossary to remember who such-and-such a Parthian dynast was, and why his grandfather was important. It's also worth noting that the titular religion of Islam doesn't make an appearance until roughly the last third of the story, and so perhaps the title is a bit misleading.
In any case, I would consider this a must-read for theological history buffs, and anyone who wants a grounded view of early religion and some insight into why we are where we are in today's modern world.