Muhammad: Islam's First Great General (Campaigns and Commanders)
(Part of the Campaigns and Commanders (#11) Series and Campaigns and Commanders Series)
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Book Overview
That Muhammad succeeded as a prophet is undeniable; a prominent military historian now suggests that he might not have done so had he not also been a great soldier.
Best known as the founder of a major religion, Muhammad was also Islam's first great general. While there have been numerous accounts of Muhammad the Prophet, this is the first military biography of the man.
In Muhammad: Islam's First Great General, Richard A. Gabriel shows us a warrior never before seen in antiquity-a leader of an all-new religious movement who in a single decade fought eight major battles, led eighteen raids, and planned thirty-eight other military operations. Gabriel's study portrays Muhammad as a revolutionary who introduced military innovations that transformed armies and warfare throughout the Arab world.
Gabriel analyzes the environment in which Muhammad lived and the religion he inspired as they relate to his military achievements. Gabriel explains how Muhammad changed the social composition of Arab armies by replacing traditional ways of fighting with a new command structure.
Muhammad's transformation of Arab warfare enabled his successors to establish the core of the Islamic empire-an accomplishment that, Gabriel argues, would have been militarily impossible without Muhammad's innovations. Richard A. Gabriel challenges existing scholarship on Muhammad's place in history and offers a viewpoint not previously attempted.
Customer Reviews
Rated 5 starsIslam, Muhammad Battles
What is nice about this book is that the author brings together his military analysis of all of the jihad battles that the Islamic prophet Muhammad led as he attempted to impose his newly revealed religion of Islam upon his disbelieving neighbors. The author also notes the events when Muhammad instigated the assassination of some of those who doubted his religious credentials as being Allah's "prophet." The author's detailing...
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Rated 5 starsIslam Muhammad Military
What is nice about this book is that the author brings together his military analysis of all of the jihad battles that the Islamic prophet Muhammad led as he attempted to impose his newly revealed religion of Islam upon his disbelieving neighbors. The author also notes the events when Muhammad instigated the assassination of some of those who doubted his religious credentials as being Allah's "prophet." The author's detailing...
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Rated 5 starsMuhammad the General
Although the authors many military history books and his international recognition have been familiar to this reader, the new information provided in this book, earned my appreciation. A new presentation of the Prophet as a military leader put the conflicts which are being played out in our days appear in a clear historical light providing precedents. The book is a very important contribution to understanding Islam since it...
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Rated 5 starsA singularly fascinating study of historical warfare and leadership.
Muhammad: Islam's First Great General is not a typical biography Muhammad, prophet and founder of the religion of Islam. Military historian and retired U.S. Army officer Richard A. Gabriel presents a close examination of Muhammad as a military genius, who introduced innovations that would transform armies and warfare throughout the Arab world. With a keen eye upon the connections between social, economic, and cultural environment...
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