The Secret Order of Assassins: The Struggle of the Early Nizari Ismai'lis Against the Islamic World » (New Edition)

Marshall G. S. Hodgson (1921-68) taught history at the University of Chicago. A major scholar of Islamic civilization, he was the author of numerous books and articles, including The Venture of Islam.

Remains the most complete history of the Assassins. Beginning the story with the separation of Sunnis and Shi'ites and the rise of Ismâ'îlism, an offshoot of Shi'ism, Hodgson traces the long and complex history of power struggles within Islam that led ultimately to the separation of the Nizârî Ismâ'îlîs and their direct challenge to Muslim leadership.