Muhammad : Islam's first great general / Richard A. Gabriel.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-244) and index.

"Best known as the founder of a major religion, Muhammad was also a military leader - Islam's first great general. While there have been numerous accounts of Muhammad the Prophet, this is the first military biography of the man." "In Muhammad: Islam's First Great General, Richard A. Gabriel shows us a type of warrior never before seen in antiquity - a leader of an all-new religious movement who in a single decade fought eight major battles, led eighteen raids, and planned thirty-eight other military operations. Offering, more detailed descriptions of battles than those found in other accounts, Gabriel's study portrays Muhammad as a revolutionary who introduced military innovations that transformed armies and warfare throughout the Arab world." "Gabriel analyzes the social, economic, and cultural environment in which Muhammad lived and the religion he inspired as they relate to his military achievements. Gabriel explains how Muhammad changed the social composition of Arab armies by replacing the traditional way of fighting - as individuals and clans - with a new command structure. He also relates Muhammad's masterful use of nonmilitary methods - bribery, alliance building, and political assassination - to strengthen his long-term position, even at the expense of short-term military considerations."--BOOK JACKET.