Books in the The Landmark Library series

A concise, beautifully illustrated account of the history and archaeology of an iconic feature of the English landscape.

The story of the composition, first performances and cultural afterlife of one of the best-loved and most widely performed works in the entire history of music.

A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one the most influential statements in the history of democracy.

The story behind the scandalous first performance of one of the most influential works in the history of music.

A concise account of the painting often described as the most important work of art produced in the twentieth century.

A beautifully produced account of the history and importance of Hadrian's Wall.

The remarkable story of the Ancient Olympic Games, narrated in invigorating style by a leading classical scholar and translator.

A concise history of one of the world's greatest and most comprehensive museum collections, from its founding in 1753 to the present day.

The story of the first great skyscraper, and the transformation of the modern city.

A short and controversial new interpretation of arguably the most important revolution of all time: the event that made the rights of man and the demand for liberty, equality and fraternity central to modern politics.

Peter Conrad explores the phenomenon of Shakespeare, and assesses Shakespeare's global legacy across every continent and across every genre of the creative arts.

A concise, authoritative and fast-paced telling of how the railways changed the world.

The story of the seventh- and eighth-century Muslim conquests, when armies inspired by the new religion of Islam burst out of Arabia to build the Islamic Empire. 'This book delivers drama through sublime writing, but mainly through marvellous images... As sharp as the Arabian desert in the midday sun' Gerard DeGroot, The Times, Books of the Year'An excellent prelude to Marozzi's previous books' Spectator'Thoroughly good fun... The narration moves swiftly but gracefully from episode to episode' Sunday TimesBy the time of his death in 632, the Prophet Mohammed had united the feuding tribes of Arabia at the point of his sword. In the decades that followed, armies inspired by the new religion of Islam burst out of Arabia to subjugate the Levant, southwest and Central Asia, North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.The Arab Conquests lasted until 750, by which time several generations of marauding Muslim armies had carved out an Islamic empire, soon to be centred on Baghdad, which in size and population rivalled that of Rome at its zenith, extending from the shores of the Atlantic in the west to the borders of China in the east. In the process they had completely crushed one great empire (the old empire of Byzantium), and hollowed out another (that of the Iranian Sasanids).These conquests of the seventh and eighth centuries represent one of the greatest feats of arms in history. Justin Marozzi charts their lightning progress across the Middle East and vast tracts of Asia and explains how an unknown and radically militant faith swept out of the Arabian desert to change the world for ever.