The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt
By Thomas Smith
Yale University Press
ISBN: 978-0-300-28395-2
The Fifth Crusade is often overlooked, even by those who study the Crusades. This book shows why its story deserves greater attention, offering valuable insights into the politics and warfare of the medieval Near East.
Excerpt:
So how did medieval audiences differentiate this crusade from the others that went before and came after? The thing that distinguished this crusade and made it special was its target, Egypt, and its main theatre of operation on the River Nile. While previous crusades had taken place in Palestine and Syria, this was the first western expedition to invade Egypt with the aim of knocking out the main base of Muslim power and wealth in the Near East. This shift in strategy in the early thirteenth century towards targeting Egypt was informed by more than a century of crusading experience.
Who is this book for?
Until recently, there were very few books devoted to the Fifth Crusade, but we now have two new studies, the other being Laurence Marvin’s The Damietta Crusade. This book takes more of a narrative approach, beginning with preparations in Europe before following the crusaders’ invasion of Egypt and the months of fighting that took place there.
While the book is aimed primarily at a general audience, it also has much to offer specialists. Even historians of the Crusades will want to have a copy on their shelves.
“This analysis is extremely well presented and is a case study in how difficulties will occur where collaboration, distant management with mixed messages, uncertain funding and lack of care in understanding the geomorphological conditions of a campaign area may affect an outcome. It could almost be a guide to modern-day challenges in the Near East!” ~ review by Trevor James in Aspects of History
The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt
By Thomas Smith
Yale University Press
ISBN: 978-0-300-28395-2
The Fifth Crusade is often overlooked, even by those who study the Crusades. This book shows why its story deserves greater attention, offering valuable insights into the politics and warfare of the medieval Near East.
Excerpt:
So how did medieval audiences differentiate this crusade from the others that went before and came after? The thing that distinguished this crusade and made it special was its target, Egypt, and its main theatre of operation on the River Nile. While previous crusades had taken place in Palestine and Syria, this was the first western expedition to invade Egypt with the aim of knocking out the main base of Muslim power and wealth in the Near East. This shift in strategy in the early thirteenth century towards targeting Egypt was informed by more than a century of crusading experience.
Who is this book for?
Until recently, there were very few books devoted to the Fifth Crusade, but we now have two new studies, the other being Laurence Marvin’s The Damietta Crusade. This book takes more of a narrative approach, beginning with preparations in Europe before following the crusaders’ invasion of Egypt and the months of fighting that took place there.
While the book is aimed primarily at a general audience, it also has much to offer specialists. Even historians of the Crusades will want to have a copy on their shelves.
“This analysis is extremely well presented and is a case study in how difficulties will occur where collaboration, distant management with mixed messages, uncertain funding and lack of care in understanding the geomorphological conditions of a campaign area may affect an outcome. It could almost be a guide to modern-day challenges in the Near East!” ~ review by Trevor James in Aspects of History
The Author
Thomas W. Smith, who teaches history at Rugby School and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, is a rising star among historians of the Crusades and is also establishing himself as an engaging public historian. His other recent work, Rewriting the First Crusade: Epistolary Culture in the Middle Ages, was the co-winner of the SSCLE Best Book Prize.
Thomas has also written for us, including this piece on The Fifth Crusade: 5 Fascinating Facts from the Forgotten Campaign
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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