The Writings of Geoff Micks

(2015 · Northern India, &  ~1273- ~1330 CE · Baghdad, Cairo, Baghdad, & Timbuktu)  The Narrator finishes his game of famous Muslims unknown to most Westerners with the tale of Mansa Musa, an emperor who gave away so much gold on his pilgrimage to Mecca that he flooded the Eastern Mediterranean with the precious commodity,…

(2015 · Northern India, & 814 – ~1273 CE · Christendom,  Al-Andalus, Constantinople, Cairo, Baghdad, & Rum)  The Narrator resumes his story, this time with his unexpected guest listening as he works. To amuse himself, he tells stories of his time with al-Khwarizmi, Omar Khayyam, and Rumi, confident those giants of medieval Islamic thought will…

(2015 CE · Northern India) The Narrator and his mystery guest meet for a second time and agree he should finish recording his life’s story before they have the conversation that motivated her to seek him out on the far side of the world. Based on Chapter 9 of End by Geoff Micks. A photo…

(756  – 814 CE · Rome, Greece, Constantinople, & More)  The Narrator recalls a happy time in his life where he worked as a caterer and party planner, and how this dragged him against his will into the orbit of an orphaned girl who would one day become the only Empress to rule in her…

(~740 – 756 CE · Spain, France, and Italy)  The Narrator remembers his time living among the Franks, and especially one frigid morning where he acted as a translator between a little boy and a Pope who fled Italy in the depths of winter to borrow an army on the strength of one of history’s…

(710 – ~775 CE · Constantinople, Syria, The Holy Land, North Africa, & Spain)  The Narrator continues his lecture on world events with terrible updates from the Greek-speaking Roman Empire ruled from Constantinople that eventually led to the Iconomachy, the struggle over religious images that would torment Orthodox Christianity for generations. He also explains the…

(710 – ~751 CE with mentions of events from earlier centuries · Spain, The Holy Land, France, & Rome)  The Narrator relates how he changed lives from operating as a successful horse ferryman between North Africa and Spain to working as a tinker in Jerusalem, and the tragedy that unfolded when his elderly ‘widow’ from…

(662 – 710 CE · Northern Africa )  The Narrator shares the small part he played in bringing Islam to North Africa west of Egypt, as well as a remarkable conversation he had with Dihya, a Christian Berber queen whose frustrated Muslim enemies believed could see into the future.  Based on Chapter 5 of End…

(656 – 662 CE · Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, & Iraq)  The Narrator discusses both the first civil war between Muslims, and the part Amr ibn Al-As played in both ending the struggle and driving deep divisions into the Islamic world in exchange for becoming the ruler of Egypt again.  Based on Chapter 4 of End…

(644 – 656 CE · Egypt, Palestine, & Arabia)  The Narrator recounts how Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab and later Caliph Uthman were assassinated, the differences between their lives and deaths, and how the community of Muslims was shaped by these events.  Based on Chapter 3 of End by Geoff Micks. (The Election of Uthman, a…