Islam at War

The word Islam means Peace, but for nearly 1,400 years its adherents have waged war—frequently on the grandest and most successful scales in history. This book introduces some of Islam's greatest military figures and analyzes significant events that are shaping the modern world. Nafziger and Walton detail the rich and diverse military histories of dozens of empires, nations, tribes, clans, and peoples. Militant Islamists viewed the events of September 11, 2001, as merely one more step in an ongoing military campaign against the West and the United States. Major events in this ongoing war include the great Arab conquests in the Middle East and the Iberian Peninsula, the Crusades, Muslim India, the Seljuq and Ottoman Empires, naval warfare, colonialism, and the numerous military actions of modern Muslim states. The word Islam means Peace, but for nearly 1,400 years its adherents have waged war—frequently on the grandest and most successful scales in history. This book introduces some of Islam's greatest military figures and analyzes significant events that are shaping the modern world. Nafziger and Walton detail the rich and diverse military histories of dozens of empires, nations, tribes, clans, and peoples. They make a special effort to outline the military history of the Quran and show how Islamic theology justifies military effort. With considerable discussion of the military aspects of terrorism, this overview will provide the general reader with background information and analysis of parts of the world that are likely to remain a battleground for years to come.