Ghassan Resurrected

The Ghassanids feature little in modern western discourse today, but they formed the last Arab supremacy before Islam, dominating both Arab and Roman history from the third century AD to the sixth. As the first Christian Arab kingdom, the Ghassanids are reviled to this day by many Islamic extremists, who see them as examples of Arabs betraying their cause to the West. The era of Ghassan brought great prosperity to the region, both economically and culturally. But it was also a period of turmoil and upheaval, with Ghassan, the 'Eastern Roman Empire', forming the first line of defense against the Persians. In Ghassan Resurrected , Yasmine Zahran, in her inimitable and lively style, revisits the Ghassanid era through the eyes of several Ghassanid leaders. The author brings her unrivalled knowledge of the period to bear on these Kings of Ghassan, recreating their aspirations, visions and their frequently tragic downfalls. Ghassan Resurrected is the last of a quartet by Yasmine Zahran on the Arab world prior to the rise of Islam.