The Great Conquest: The Rise of the Arab Empire

This book taught me that the Arabian Peninsula is vast. If a straight line were drawn between the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, namely Rashad in Oman, and Aleppo in the northwestern corner of the Syrian Desert, the line would be over 2,500 kilometers long. Traveling this route continuously by animal power would take about 100 days.

"The poet once bitterly criticized his military incompetence: 'You raid the enemy at night, as if frolicking with a woman; you pull out… but the sword is not yet drawn. In the eyes of the enemy, you are a charming bride; to us, you are a sharp knife aimed at us.'" The author of this book has made great efforts in verifying and selecting historical materials.

This book is very detailed, focusing on the Arab conquests of the 7th to mid-8th centuries. It narrates important battles such as the Battle of Qadisiyah, the Battle of Yarmouk, and the Battle of Damascus, depicting the Arab army's offensive operations. Furthermore, the book also extensively covers the settlement and relocation, as well as the records and memories associated with these conquests.

This is a rare historical masterpiece! The author has collected and organized a vast amount of historical archival material, realistically recreating the history of the Arabs' conquest of West Asia, North Africa, and Western Europe in the 7th and 8th centuries AD, establishing a vast empire spanning Eurasia and Africa.

This book is very detailed, focusing on the Arab conquests of the 7th to mid-8th centuries. It narrates important battles such as the Battle of Qadisiyah, the Battle of Yarmouk, and the Battle of Damascus, depicting the Arab army's offensive operations. Furthermore, the book also extensively covers the settlement and relocation, as well as the records and memories associated with these conquests.

This book is truly captivating! It vividly depicts the rise of the Arab Empire, making me feel as if I were charging into battle alongside the army. The author is also exceptional; his narrative style is both scholarly and engaging, and his meticulous verification of historical materials is remarkable. I particularly enjoyed his evaluations of the characters' actions, which deepened my understanding of the figures and their motivations during that era. Overall, this is a highly recommended book!

The author has collected and organized a vast amount of historical archival material, realistically recreating the history of the Arabs' conquest of West Asia, North Africa, and Western Europe in the 7th and 8th centuries AD, establishing a vast empire spanning Eurasia and Africa.

Respect for history and reality is the foundation of this book. Although statements such as "historical materials are lacking here" and "not much is recorded about this battle" appear in the text, this does not detract from its value. The author handles historical materials very appropriately.

Free from stereotypes and imposed notions of civilization versus barbarity, this is a rare and excellent book on Arabic history.

Limited by a lack of historical materials and their relatively low quality, the author manages to outline a rough contour of the Arab conquests, but without much in-depth analysis. Overall, it's a good introductory book.