IN THE SHADOW OF THE SWORD The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire

Narrator Steven Crossley reads with a magisterial British-accented voice that is both deep and decisive. Although the title of this audiobook seems to promise rigorously researched history, it takes a somewhat more literary approach to what was a fascinating and important era in world events. Holland adds action and attributes thoughts to characters that are not supported by records, but these are his ways of making the subject more accessible and interesting. While Crossley doesn't have an especially elastic voice and he moves a bit too slowly and deliberately through the text, he pronounces Arabic names and places with ease and confidence. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2016]