The First Jihad: The Battle for Khartoum and the Dawn of Militant Islam

The First Jihad is an excellent work that starts out with the amazing and heroic battle of Khartoum. The author ties an easy to read narrative to an historical event that brings the reader close and does not let them go. It is a chilling read as one correlates the challenges and madness of the region today to how it started. A strongly recommended read for anyone who has interest in the beginnings of modern Muslim extremism and the ties the West has to that epic struggle.

Before Bin Laden or Hussein there was the Mahdi, the 'Expected One' who raised the Arabs in a revolt against infidels in 19th century Sudan - and THE FIRST JIHAD: THE BATTLE FOR KHARTOUM AND THE DAWN OF MILITANT ISLAM is key to understanding not only the Mahdi, but his ongoing importance to events happening today. The Mahdi's army crushed forces dispatched from British Egypt to half his uprising, succeeded in unifying much of the Arab world, and developed early winning military strategies: THE FIRST JIHAD focuses both on these military encounters and on the biography and background of Muhammed Ahmed, whose charisma was to spark action among peoples. College-level collections strong in Middle East history and culture need this. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Islam is shown at it's core beliefs in this book. This book gives you an understanding of what it's all about, and where it's going. Eva-Christ Makes you wonder if that angel of light in that cave, who gave Muhammad the Quran, really was?