Avraham ElmakiasĀ received a Ph.D. in Islamic history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2015. He teaches Arabic at Bar Ilan University and in secondary schools in Israel.
Translated from Hebrew, this groundbreaking study sets out to answer one simple question: who were the commanders of the early Islamic navy? Using the prosopographical method, Elmakias unearths fresh information about early Islam's inexperienced and pioneering naval commanders. Through their fascinating biographies, we learn about the people who led the Islamic navy during the first conquests of the Islamic empire and helped to realise the spread and expansion of Islamic influence.