[scottinoc]

Great post! Little is known in this country of this crucial time in world history. I'm just recently becoming acquainted with it myself. Paul Fregosi's book Jihad also does a great job of describing this campaign. Fregosi is of the belief that, if not for Charles the Hammer, we would all be bowing to Mecca today. I definitely have a great respect for the legacy of heroism that the French have, too bad their leadership has not lived up to it lately.

[johndpringle]

I will have to go back and read the book "Jihad". Bernard Lewis, in one of his books, makes mention that from the Arab or Moselm point of view this was merely the defeat of a reconnaissance in force. Professor Lewis points out that the Arabs or Moslems of those times were quite honest in reporting their defeats at the hands of Christians. Professor Lewis cites to a reported defeat at Constantinople. I have a hard time imagining an Arab or Moslem army of 600,000 in those times. The supply train would have been enormous.