Our understanding--or misunderstanding of history will have a very big influence on the decisions we make. For most of us, this will not make much of a difference to the impact we have on our world; we are not responsible for our nations security. But what if you were a politician, or a four-star General, or the President of the United States? Then what you believe about the following is of the utmost importance.
If you believe the version of history found in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Islam by Yahiya Emerick and A Vanished World by Chris Lowney, you will make very different decisions than you would if you believed the version of history found in The Third Choice by Mark Durie, The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise by Dario Fernandez-Morera, and Catastrophic Failure by Stephen Coughlin.
If your responsibility is to know (so that you can make informed decisions), you better read both versions of history.