The book was first published in 1899. The story of Husain and Zammarrud fallen in the grip of the Assassins take us back to the last days of Hasan Bin Sabah's merciless followers, at the end of which the sect's stronghold, the famous fort of Alamoot, was destroyed by the even more merciless Mongol hordes. Sharar writes famously in the style of a Walter Scott novel, the novel itself being a new literary form in his day. But there are shades of an earlier indigenous genre - the Dastaan - in his work. Yet although he tells a gripping tale, part Scott and part Dastaan, he is not unaware of character. Husain may be credulous, and smitten silly by his love for Zammarrud, but he can still ask Shaikh Vujoodi intelligent questions which the Shaikh can only parry by the display of great wrath and superhuman knowledge. Husain's credulity in accepting his answers immediately has a lot to do with his fear that he would not be allowed to visit his beloved in 'Paradise.' There is a definite modern streak in Sharar's work. His treatment of Zamarrud is different from the usual portrayal of female characters in his day. Zamarrud has a mind of her own. She is observant and intelligent and capable of rebuffing her lover when he sounds credulous and foolish. No old fashioned perceptions of female 'duty' or the superior status of men holds her back from realizing that she is more clear-headed than Husain. She is moreover not mild of manner or adulatory of her man, as the prototypes of female perfection tend to be in Urdu literature of the day. Yet non of this detracts from her femininity, as she runs around 'like a delicate, fleet-footed doe' but fully determined to have her way. Much has been written about the Assassins in English and other languages. Sharar's novel has its own charm, and given a chance it should become a very popular book. Translated into Tajik, Sharar's works have quite a lot of readers in Tajikistan, where they are also the subject of a Ph.D. dissertation by Vladimir Lanikin.

An adventure love-story set in Syria in the middle ages. Under the guise of doing Hajj, young lovers Zamurrud and Hussain elope. En route to Mecca, Zamurrud is kidnapped by The Assassins – an extreme sect whose members are prepared to leap to death at a sign from their masters, their reward paradise. Zamurrud is coerced into returning to visit Hussain in what he believes is a dream. She convinces him that she is in paradise, and that if he wants to see her again he must join the Assassins and perform acts of terror against his own beliefs.

From a master historian, the definitive account of history's first terrorists An offshoot of the Ismaili Shi'ite sect of Islam, the Assassins were the first group to make systematic use of murder as a political weapon. Established in Iran and Syria in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, they aimed to overthrow the existing Sunni order in Islam and replace it with their own. They terrorized their foes with a series of dramatic murders of Islamic leaders, as well as of some of the Crusaders, who brought their name and fame back to Europe. Professor Lewis traces the history of this radical group, studying its teachings and its influence on Muslim thought. Particularly insightful in light of the rise of the terrorist attacks in the U.S. and in Israel, this account of the Assassins -- whose name is now synonymous with politically motivated murderers -- places recent events in historical perspective and sheds new light on the fanatic mind.

Eyan, homeless and all but invisible, drifts through the sundrenched streets, parks and boardwalks of Los Angeles, sometimes avoiding, sometimes seeking the shadows. A chance encounter with his childhood friend, Marc, leads Eyan to meet ‘the professor’, an erudite and tragic figure who takes Eyan under his wing, reading to him from Milton’s Paradise Lost in the lustrated light of the city at night. But these friendships also drag Eyan into the City of Angels’ Skid Row, the largest homeless community in North America. There, the sinister Paul and his gang of black-garbed ‘eyeless boys’ have established a reign of daily terror, committing murder after murder which the police are incapable of stopping. As tensions on the streets increase, the professor continues to read from Milton’s great epic, and Eyan begins to wonder: if even the angels can find themselves at war, what hope, and what kind of home, exists for him? Fair offers a lyrical and reflective glimpse into a vulnerable young man’s struggle to survive in an indifferent, violent world.

The number of incidents and crimes carried out by terrorists and criminals, such as physical threats, violent attacks, assassinations, kidnapping and hostage situations are increasing by the minute worldwide. Each incident is a constant and ever demanding challenge to the law enforcement and the personal security professionals in particular. A detailed, but understandable manual for the Executive Protection Officer is a priority and the answer to those challenging situations. The Fine Art of Executive Protection is a detailed, but understandable manual for the Executive Protection Officer providing answers to those challenging situations. Information about every aspect of executive protection is not only an important part of the professional's training curriculum, but plays also a vital role for the client, who seeks protection. This manual will provide a clear view of all aspects not only for the professional, but also for prospect clients. To make sure of this all available training and study material, individual case studies and real scenarios combined with professional experience served as a foundation for this specialist's manual. The Fine Art of Executive Protection in its comprehensive and straight- forward form will guide the reader through the diversity of disciplines and skills, which are essential for any professional of the executive protection and private security sector. This book provides detailed information and knowledge, necessary and indispensable not only for the novice, but also for the experienced executive protection professional. It provides the clear knowledge and a thorough understanding of the characteristics, diversity and demands of this profession. It contains all the essential ingredients, necessary for an effective protection planning and successful service, demanded by any executive protection specialist. Providing all the tools, techniques and applications needed for this specific job, it also shall motivate some talents, which may need to be developed further and to face not only today's protection needs, but also those of the future. The book not only contains detailed professional information for the person seeking a post in the "glamorous world" of the executive protection- business but also provides all the information necessary for those under threat and in need of close protection and a secure environment. A protection- seeking client will find detailed information about Executive Protection and Physical Security. Executive or Personal Protection, was once considered a service only and exclusive for the rich, famous and a few selected government officials. But recent events and an increase in violence, quickly transformed Executive Protection into a sought after service- commodity worldwide. Keeping this in mind, any part of this guide is therefore easily adaptable and adjusted to any region or country in the world. However, one must carefully consider and act within the local laws to assure a successful protection service.

Terrorism usually is a consquence of geopolitical decisions. Therefore, this book chooses a historical approach: it shows the most important terrorist attacks un their contexts. After all, terrorism is ultimately not a string of disconnected events; rather follows a line of development that this book seeks to trace in a chronicle.

Representations of Muslims have never been more common in the Western imagination than they are today. Building on Orientalist stereotypes constructed over centuries, the figure of the wily Arab has given rise, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, to the "Islamist" terrorist. In Idols in the East, Suzanne Conklin Akbari explores the premodern background of some of the Orientalist types still pervasive in present-day depictions of Muslims—the irascible and irrational Arab, the religiously deviant Islamist—and about how these stereotypes developed over time. Idols in the East contributes to the recent surge of interest in European encounters with Islam and the Orient in the premodern world. Focusing on the medieval period, Akbari examines a broad range of texts including encyclopedias, maps, medical and astronomical treatises, chansons de geste, romances, and allegories to paint an unusually diverse portrait of medieval culture. Among the texts she considers are The Book of John Mandeville, The Song of Roland, Parzival, and Dante's Divine Comedy. From them she reveals how medieval writers and readers understood and explained the differences they saw between themselves and the Muslim other. Looking forward, Akbari also comes to terms with how these medieval conceptions fit with modern discussions of Orientalism, thus providing an important theoretical link to postcolonial and postimperial scholarship on later periods. Far reaching in its implications and balanced in its judgments, Idols in the East will be of great interest to not only scholars and students of the Middle Ages but also anyone interested in the roots of Orientalism and its tangled relationship to modern racism and anti-Semitism.

Tie-in with the eponymous new film by Barbet Schroeder.

The so-called 'Assassins' are one of the most spectacular legends of medieval history. In the popular imagination they are drug-crazed fanatics who launched murderous attacks on their enemies, terrorising the medieval world. Since the tales of Marco Polo and others, the myths surrounding them have been fantastically embellished and the truth has become ever more obscure. Universally loathed and feared, they were especially frightening because they apparently had no fear of death. Bartlett's book deftly traces the origins of the sect out of the schisms within the early Islamic religion and examines the impact of Hasan-i-Sabbah, its founder, and Sinan - the legendary 'Old Man of the Mountain'. This popular history follows the vivid history of the group over the next two centuries, including its clash with the crusaders, its near destruction at the hands of the Mongols, and its subsequent history. Finally, and fascinatingly, we discover how the myths surrounding the Assassins have developed over time, and why indeed they continue to have such an impact on the popular imagination.

“A fascinating history . . . The Medieval conflict between Christians and Muslims has many similarities to the Middle East today.”—Firetrench The Ismaili Assassins were an underground group of political killers who were ready to kill Christians and Muslims alike with complete disregard for their own lives. Under the powerful control of an enigmatic grand master, these devoted murderers often slayed their victims in public, cultivating their terrifying reputation. They assumed disguises and their weapon of choice was a dagger. The dagger was blessed by the grand master and killing with it was a holy and sanctified act; poison or other methods of murder were forbidden to the followers of the sect. Surviving a mission was considered a deep dishonor and mothers rejoiced when they heard that their Assassin sons had died having completed their deadly acts. Unsurprisingly, their formidable reputation spread far and wide. In 1253, the Mongol chiefs were so fearful of them that they massacred and enslaved the Assassins’ women and children in an attempt to liquidate the sect. The English monarch, Edward I, was nearly dispatched by their blades and Richard the Lionheart’s reputation was sullied by his association with the Assassins’ murder of Conrad of Montferrat. The Ismaili Assassins explores the origins, actions and legacy of this notorious sect. Enriched with eyewitness accounts from Islamic and Western sources, this important book unlocks the history of the Crusades and the early Islamic period, giving the reader entry into a historical epoch that is thrilling and pertinent. “An inherently fascinating, deftly written, and impressively informative read from beginning to end.”—Midwest Book Review