The Crusades : Islamic Perspectives

Minor wear. VG. 16pp photoplates. Medieval Historiography Edinburgh University Press Edinburgh (1999) orig. wrappers 25x19cm, lvi,648,(16)pp, PAPERBACK. Weighs 1.7 kilos. Contents: The First Crusade and the Muslims’ Initial Reactions to the Coming of the Franks -- Jihad in the Period 493-569/1100-1174 -- Jihad in the Period from the Death of Nur al-Din until the Fall of Acre (569-690/1174-1291) -- How the Muslims Saw the Franks: Ethnic and Religious Stereotypes -- Aspects of Life in the Levant in the Crusading Period -- Armies, Arms, Armour and Fortifications -- The Conduct of War -- Epilogue: The Heritage of the Crusades. ["This is not a chronological survey of the events of the period 1099 to 1291 and even beyond, for that has already been done several times. Instead, this is a general book intended to introduce some of the wider aspects of the history of the Crusades from the Muslim side. Accordingly, as a deliberate policy, an attempt is made here to view the phenomenon of the Crusades entirely through the prism of medieval Muslim sources. This naturally involves bias, but such a bias is salutary given the cumulative impact of centuries of Eurocentric scholarship in this field and it should help to create a more balanced picture of this fascinating and momentous period of Christian/Muslim confrontation and interaction." "The text is accompanied by well over 500 illustrations of medieval Islamic art which provide a visual reinforcement for this attempt to view the Crusades from ’the other side’" - from rear cover].