A review by radbear76
In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire by Tom Holland

3.0

A comprehensive look at the roots of Islam by starting with the religions which preceded it. While interesting it jumps around in time a bit to describe the historical events from the perspective of the various major religions. This was a little confusing but not unmanageable. Overall the thesis that Islam is a religion constructed over time from multiple sources comes through very clearly as does the evidence supporting this supposition.