Few people know the truth about the enigmatic organization known as the Assassins. An underground group of political killers, they were ready to kill Christians and Muslims alike with complete disregard for the consequences of their actions. Hardly any movement before or since has cast so terrifying a shadow. In 1253, the Mongol chiefs were so fearful of the Assassins' poniards of terrible length and sharpness' that they massacred and enslaved the Assassins' women and children. The Ismaili Assassins explores this unique way of waging war and shows how assassination and fifth-column infiltration became the key weapon for the Islailis. Through its use of eyewitness accounts from both Islamic and Western sources, this important new book unlocks much of the history of the Crusades and the early Islamic period, allowing the reader entry into a historical epoch that is epic, thrilling, startling and pertinent. 16 pages of plates
