In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire

Name: In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire
Price: 1.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.2 (1626 reviews)
Author: Tom Holland

by Tom Holland

Nonfiction Religion Spirituality

4.2 (1,626)

4.2 stars from 1,626 reviews. Top 84% of Nonfiction books we track.

545 pages~9.1 hr readPublished by Anchor

$1.9987% off peak

Last checked: Apr 5, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $14.99

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Price range: $1.99 – $14.99

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Perfect for you if...

You love narrative history that reads like a thriller, with vivid characters and genuine stakes rather than dusty dates.
You're curious about how Islam emerged and spread so rapidly across three continents in just a few generations.
You enjoyed Rubicon or similar popular histories that make ancient events feel urgent and relevant to today.

Maybe not for you if...

You want a scholarly, academic deep-dive with extensive footnotes and historiographical debate.
You're looking for a religious text or theological analysis of Islamic doctrine and faith.
You prefer short, digestible reads. At 545 pages, this is a proper commitment.

About this book

Tom Holland examines the rise of Islam and the emergence of the Arab empire. He presents this development as a major narrative of ancient history, comparable in significance to the collapse of the Roman Republic or the Persian invasion of Greece. The account emphasizes the dramatic speed of Arab expansion: unlike the Romans, who built their dominion over centuries, the Arabs achieved vast territorial conquests within decades. Similarly to the Greeks during the Persian wars, the Arabs overcame substantial obstacles to triumph against the dominant empire of their era, doing so through aggressive expansion rather than defensive strategy.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $14.99

Currently on sale at $1.99 — 87% off peak. Price has dropped 22 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 97 days. Typically stays discounted for 23 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently #1,757 in the Kindle store — a top-10K bestseller. Climbing the charts — 58% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.2★ from 1,626 reviews

Gaining approximately 10 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.2 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $1.99. It typically returns to around $14.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.