This addition to the Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages series is intended to fill a gap by providing "a single reference work that presents Islamic civilization in a manner intelligible to the nonspecialist." Previously, the nonspecialist would have had to settle for general reference works or works focused on Europe, thus coming away with a fragmented view of Islamic civilization during the medieval period.

When John Plaster's The Ultimate Sniper was released in 1993, it was hailed as an instant classic in the sniping community, influencing an entire generation of military and police marksmen around the world. Now this revolutionary book has been completely updated and expanded for the 21st century! Through revised text, new photos, specialized illustrations, updated charts and additional information sidebars, The Ultimate Sniper once again thoroughly details the three great skill areas of sniping: marksmanship, fieldcraft and tactics.

This volume brings together seven seminal papers by the great radical historian Geoffrey de Ste. Croix, who died in 2000, on early Christian topics, with an especial focus on persecution and martyrdom. Christian martyrdom is a topic which conjures up ready images of inhumane persecutors confronted by Christian heroes who perish for the instant but win the long-term battle for reputation.

Contrary to the widespread view that nationalism is a modern phenomenon, Goodblatt argues that it can be found in the ancient world. He argues that concepts of nationalism compatible with contemporary social scientific theories can be documented in the ancient sources from the Mediterranean Rim by the middle of the last millennium B.C.E.