CRUSADES THROUGH ARABS EYES (Saqi Essentials)

The book is a primary source book for theoretical and narrative historians and students. One problem with historiography ,especially for Asian historians,is that most materials are from the West and naturally Euro-centric. So making original Asian materials is of great value. Of course contemporary narratives also need textual criticism but this book gives life experiences and so can be given almost the value of epigraphic materials. I had always doubted the history of crusades I studied in school/college and had later developed my hypothesis that the phenomenon is comparable to the predatory Mongol invasions .That is, predatory invasions of poverty stricken martial societies plundering rich settled societies. This book gave me solid evidence for my hypothesis .i have made some inquiries about the social,martial,ideological,sacred organisation of Mongols but i am yet to come across such a sociological work about tribal/early feudal Latin Europe. Can somebody give some link? This book gives such details about the Anatolian/Syrian society. The book also supports my thesis that a wealthy creative civilization need not be one which is politically and militarily unified (the West Asian society of the period was rich and cultured and because of that had decentralized polities and civic politics).This becomes a disadvantage when confronted by less civilized societies which are militarily well organised.Reading about such details gave me insights and pleasure(example,about the cities of Aleppo,Tripoli etc). My knowledge about the roles the Italian city states,Catholic imperialism etc in this process was substantiated besides my suspicion that the Crusades were the the factor which created Islamic fundamentalism in the cultured societies of West Asia. And crusades made the West Asian Christians' lot precarious This a good addition to my reference library

Excellent read. Lucid and detailed account of the major crusade events is the hallmark of this book. Discussion of individual rulers and their approaches to political matters is well narrated by the author. The internal rivalry of Muslim rulers and their flexibility in aligning with the “farang” against their fellow Muslim rulers is remarkably highlighted in the book.

Amazing Read. How the reality can be different for two regions of EARTH. Must Read!!!!

I love this book and I will definitely buy more from this seller.

Great book

poorly written

There is only one thing that made this a difficult read: the phonetic transliteration of Arabic names is lousy in the Kindle edition. Otherwise, Maalouf is masterful, superbly narrative and poignant as he alludes to the long and deep wounds of The Crusades upon Arab peoples and upon the perception of persecution that often accompanies fanatical mindsets in both East and West. Maalouf is erudite and cogent as he lays out the chronology of the convoluted and intrigue-laden events over a three or four hundred year period. He also demonstrates the fragility of peace and order in The Holy Land during this time period. This book is a rare gem as most texts I have read as an historian have been the Turkish, Western European and the Greek perspectives (my languages are Turkish, Latin and Greek). Uniquely, Maalouf demonstrates the intricacies of the tapestry of cultures present from India to Egypt to show us that there was no monolith of cultures on either side. I often read several historical books from differing perspectives simultaneously, as it tends to deepen my understanding of events. I recommend reading Robert Payne’s THE DREAM AND THE TOMB along side this book for a beautifully written and researched Western perspective of the eight crusades and the end of Christian occupation.

Un libro necesario hoy en dia para comprender mas el mundo arabe. Ademas se lee muy fácilmente y con un ritmo frenético. Lo recomiendo mucho

This is an alternative view of an era normally seen through western eyes. For such a detailed book it is amazingly easy to read. The parallels between the crusades and the present are fascinating. Put al-Qaeda in the role of the crusaders trying to destroy a culturally more advanced society. The arab mystification at the schism between eastern and western christianity and the violence between the two mirrors the schism between Sunni and Shia muslims today. The old man of the mountains sending out his assassins on suicide missions just as Osama Bin Ladin does today. Perhaps we can also find solutions in the past. The sect of the assassins was only destroyed when the arab world sickened of their violence and turned against them.

Translated from the French, this book forgives no-one but does seek to set the record straight re The Crusades and the angst that we here in the west inherited as a result of our misguided efforts. Seeing the problem from the other side is crucial to understanding what fronts of diplomacy may be possible in the coming century, if at all. Not a light read, but worth it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The author has done an extraordinary amount of research to bring together this historic book essential for anyone wondering why we are where we are in relations between “middle eastern” and “western” cultures. Or more accurately between Christian and Muslim countries, especially those with radical Christians and radical Muslims. Interestingly the Israelis are considered crusaders by some. The Prologue gives an insight, if not picked up when reading each chapter, about the effects of the Crusades on current world politics; why did the Arab world decline in areas of human development such as science, philosophy, education, literature and the western world take over and become more civilised cultures (to some extent).