In the Shadow of the Sword
by Tom Holland · first published 2001
2mentions
1recommended by
2HN commenters
2022–2023first – last mentioned
50% recommend50% neutral
A vivid and detailed history of the Near East during late antiquity, culminating in the rise of Islam
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…authority and orthodox practice derive from. And then I became really interested in the origins of the Abrahamic religions. The podcast History In The Bible (https://www.historyinthebible.com/) and the book In The Shadow of the Sword (https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Sword-Birth-Global-Empire/dp/0...) have been really fascinating in understanding secular theories of how these religions arose from their historical contexts. Secular historians…
on “Religion as an Ego-modulator” ↗Odyssey by Homer (just finished) Master and Margarita by Bulgakov (just finished) In the Shadow of the Sword by Tom Holland Started by quit: Aeneid by Virgil (too much of Roman propaganda) Catch 22 by Heller (had it on the list because of recognition but, disliked it 5-10% in)
on “Ask HN: What are you reading these days?” ↗