The Crusades

Starred review from February 1, 2010
Asbridge (The First Crusade
) has produced a truly comprehensive history of holy war in the Holy Land. (Another Crusade history, Jonathan Phillips's Holy Warriors
, is also due in March.) Emphasizing the dramatic Third Crusade and its heroic antagonists, Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, the narrative reads like an adventure story, albeit one that is both factual and instructive. The accounts of the massive Muslim victory at Hattin and the successful Crusader siege of Acre are especially vivid, with almost blow-by-blow descriptions of the battles that, first, restored Islamic control of Jerusalem and then re-established Latin Christendom's foothold in Palestine. Clearly depicted as well is the importance of trade and diplomacy in the constant struggle for supremacy and, also, the significance of the last great figures of the Crusades, King Louis IX of France and Baybars, the Lion of Egypt. While warrior orders such as the Christian Templars and Hospitallers and, by extension, the Islamic Assassins, are discussed, the information on these militant and secretive organizations is somewhat limited. 8 pages of color and 8 pages of b&w illus.; maps.

July 1, 2014

A medieval scholar noted for writing and presenting the BBC Two series The Crusades, Asbridge tells the story of William Marshal, who lived in such harsh times (12th-century England) that he was condemned to the gallows at age five by his father. He went on to become one of the greatest knights in British history, serving four kings, among them Richard the Lionheart. Yes, another BBC documentary is in the offing.

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