The rise of Islam - Peter Chrisp

When the Prophet Muhammad first preached the Islamic faith in the seventh century AD, he founded one of the world’s most influential religions. This book charts the rise of Islam, from the small band of followers who accompanied Muhammad to Medina in AD 622, to the caliphs, sultans and merchants who, through trade and conquest, carried the teachings of the Prophet halfway across the globe—to Persia, North Africa, Spain, the Balkans and South Asia. The author also looks at the contact between Muslims and Christians—both Byzantines and Crusaders—and examines some of the many cultural and scientific achievements of the great Islamic civilizations.