The Armies of Islam 7th–11th Centuries

Book excerpt: A fully-illustrated, in-depth exploration of early Islamic military forces, their weapons and armour, and the conflicts in which they fought. During the Middle Ages, Islam was Christian Europe's only civilised and most troublesome neighbour; the Middle Ages saw almost continual strife between these two distinct cultures. By the time the Frankish Crusaders reached the Middle East at the end of the 11th century, Islam had already incorporated three major races: Arabs, Persians and Turks, each of which contributed different strengths to the armoury of Islam. This title explores the organisation, uniforms and equipment of the armies of Islam from the 7th to 11th centuries, backed by illustrations, museum photographs and eight full page colour plates by popular Osprey artist Angus McBride.