Someone asked me what I am reading now . . . At the moment The Gardens of Light by Amin Maalouf. Just finished Maalouf's Samarkand. You might also be interested in The Assassin Legends: Myths of the Isma'ilis. See a Furious Rejoinder to those who have had the gall to compare Hassan Sabbah to Osama bin Laden. More details on these books in a moment . . .