Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries by Paul Fregosi.
For over 1,300 years, Jihad—the Muslim holy war against Christians and others—has shaped history, marked by violent conquests in Europe that began with the 7th-century campaigns to convert non-believers and continue to the modern era with acts of terrorism committed in the name of Allah. Yet, this vast and often ignored chapter of European history has been largely suppressed by political and literary authorities, who have feared backlash from Muslim communities. These powers have sought to obscure a legacy of violence that far surpasses the scale of the Crusades, lasting six times longer and causing greater bloodshed.
This compelling and factual narrative uncovers the largely forgotten story of the Islamic military invasions of Europe, starting around 650 CE. The early Islamic Arabs—and later the Moors—conquered several Mediterranean islands, launched invasions of Spain and Portugal in 711 CE, and ruled much of the Iberian Peninsula for the next 800 years. The Muslim forces also attacked France and Italy and extended their reach along the European coasts, even reaching Ireland and Iceland. The Balkans fell under their control, with the Ottomans besieging Vienna and intermittently ruling over Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary until the 19th century. They destroyed the Byzantine Empire and took Constantinople, renaming it Istanbul. Their ambitions also stretched toward Austria and Russia, marking a long period of relentless conquest.
