
In the Shadow of the Sword
The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Keeble
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By:
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Tom Holland
About this listen
In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In The Shadow of the Sword, Tom Holland explores how this came about. Spanning from Constantinople to the Arabian desert, and starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived, he tells a story vivid with drama, horror, and startling achievement.
©2012 Tom Holland (P)2012 Hachette DigitalListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
Though the information content is dense, it comes at the reader with the pace of a good story, and the picture it paints is illuminating and satisfying.
Captivating and informative
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Extremely Good, Informative and Eye Opening Read
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What did you love best about In the Shadow of the Sword?
I've read and listened to four of Tom Holland's books, he has the ability to capture a lot of historical fact and put into a way of making it understandable.Another great book from Tom Holland
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Excellent overview of the ending of late antiquity
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Too many details…
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out. of. control. prose, didactics, cheekyness
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Great history
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As for the narration, it was great. It made for some good listening during the 17 and so hours of this long book. Overall, the book left me disappointed and yearning for more orthodox historical books about this particular era.
Encompassing, detailed, epic, but suffers from misguided attempts at revisionism and some questionable narratives.
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