The Knights Of Islam

The author brings together a wealth of information which has, until now, only been available in highly specialized academic journals and scholarly books - David Nicolle An astonishing array of themes and characters - John ManThe Mamluks were, at one distinct point in history, the greatest body of fighting men in the world and the quintessence of the mounted warrior - reaching near perfection in their skill with the bow, lance and sword.Their story embraces many of the great themes of medieval military endeavor: the Crusaders and the deadly contest between Islam and Christendom, the Mongols and their vision of World Dominion, Tamerlane the Scourge of God and the rise of the Ottoman Empire whose own slave soldiers, the Janissaries, would be the Mamluks' final nemesis.They entered the Islamic world as unlettered automatons and through a total application to the craft of the warrior they became more than soldiers. After a bloody seizure of power from their masters, the descendants of...