In the 6th century AD the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian & the Roman. A hundred years on & 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 Constantinople to the Arabian desert & starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived he tells a story vivid with drama horror & startling achievement.