LemuriaBooks

Yaroslav Trofimov, author of Faith at War: A Journey on the Frontlines of Islam, from Baghdad to Timbuktu and foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, recently released his latest book, The Siege of Mecca. The book chronicles the 1979 uprising that occurred in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the hostage situation that ensued, and the repercussions this would eventually have on Islam, the Middle East and the world. Though the history is complex, Trofimov presents the event with an urgency that makes the book hard to put down. His account enlightens the reader in that it explains the many international issues that affected the Muslim world at the time and how these issues led to the siege and later, the birth of Al Qaeda. Although you may want to read the book with pen in hand, this historical work is well worth the read. -Caroline