Arab Historians Of The Crusades

We’ve heard the tales of Richard the Lionheart, the capture of Jerusalem, the siege of Acre. Here, translated for the first time, are Muslim chronicles that present the Crusades from their point-of-view. Taken from city and dynastic records, the chronicles depictthe harrowing details of sieges, treacheries, massacres, ransomings, valor and self sacrifice. A needed history lesson to help us correct our “bias” so we can understand both sides of a critical historical era.

The recapture of Jerusalem, the siege of acre, the fall of Tripoli, the effect in Baghdad of events in Syria; these and other happenings were faithfully recorded by Arab historians during the two centuries of the Crusades. First published in English in 1969, this book presents ‘the other side’ of the Holy War, offering the first English translation of contemporary Arab accounts of the fighting between Muslim and Christian.

Extracts are drawn from seventeen different authors encompassing a multitude of sources:

* The general histories of the Muslim world,
* The chronicles of cities, regions and their dynasties
* Contemporary biographies and records of famous deeds.

Overall, this book gives a sweeping and stimulating view of the Crusades seen through Arab eyes.