August 24, 2023
Current Book: Sword and Scimitar by Raymond Ibrahim
According to Muslim tradition, in the mid-seventh century the Roman emperor rejected Prophet Muhammad’s order to abandon Christianity and convert to Islam and unleashed a centuries-long jihad on Christendom. Sword and Scimitar chronicles the decisive battles that then arose, beginning with the first major Islamic attack on Christian territory in 636. The majority of these landmark encounters–including the battles of Yarmuk, Tours, Manzikert, the sieges at Constantinople and Vienna, and the crusades in Syria and Spain–are now forgotten or considered inconsequential. Using original sources in Arabic and Greek, historian Raymond Ibrahim describes each battle in vivid detail and explains how these wars and the larger historical currents of the age reflect the cultural fault lines between Islam and the West.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 24th. More details to come.
If you are interested in participating in book club generally, getting updates on future books, and keeping up to date on discussions, please email Virginia Phillips at:
