The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | Bernard Lewis |
| Products | Historical publication |
The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam is a historical publication from 1967 authored by Middle Eastern scholar Bernard Lewis and initially released by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book delves into the Order of Assassins, a notable extremist faction within Islamic history. Subsequent revised editions were issued in 1987 by Oxford University Press and again in 2002 through Basic Books. It is considered a seminal work on the topic, providing essential analysis of the sect’s beginnings and its role in Islamic political and religious spheres.
Description
Bernard Lewis, a British-American historian affiliated with Princeton University, investigates the clandestine Islamic group known as the Assassins, a subdivision of the Nizari Ismailis that utilized targeted killings during the Middle Ages to fulfill political, military, and religious aims.
This volume is acclaimed for drawing connections between the early Assassins and contemporary forms of Islamic terrorism.