I just finished
In the Shadow of the Sword by Tom Holland It's the
history of the world after
Rome, basically how
Persia and the east became Muslim. Very interesting read and gives some real insight into why the world is divided the way it is today.
Here's the description from Amazon:
"In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the
Roman. A hundred years on, and one
had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In The Shadow of the Sword, Tom
Holland explores how this came about. Spanning
Constantinople to the Arabian desert, and starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived, he tells a story vivid with drama, horror and startling achievement."