Walking In Wuhan

I wandered through the bookstore last week looking for a new book. I picked up The Siege of Mecca by Yaroslav Trafimov, which documents a little-known uprising -- at least in the West by a conservative Muslim group in 1979 that has affected our involvement in Iraq and the Middle East. The bloody battle for Islam's most sacred ground sparked unrest and anti-American feelings (this was also happened during the time of the Iranian hostage crisis) throughout the Middle East. The book satiated the history geek in me, illuminating a story that I had never heard of before, while also telling a gripping narrative.


The siege emboldened other radical Islamic groups, including al Qaeda that obviously has present-day implications for our foreign policy. If you like history or are interested in Islam, this book is definitely worth picking up and checking out.