Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West

A sweeping history of the often-violent conflict between Islam and the West, shedding a revealing light on current hostilities.

The West and Islam—the sword and scimitar—have clashed since the mid-seventh century, when, according to Muslim tradition, the Roman emperor rejected Prophet Muhammad’s order to abandon Christianity and convert to Islam, unleashing a centuries-long jihad on Christendom.

Sword and Scimitar chronicles the decisive battles that arose from this ages-old Islamic jihad, b...