Baybars and the Fall of the Syrian Assassins
Steve Tibble on how Baybars dismantled the Syrian Assassins, turned them into Mamluk agents, and reshaped Nizari Ismailism in the thirteenth century.
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BooksAll posts
New Encyclopedia Highlights Medieval Women’s Writing Around the World
A major new reference work is aiming to reshape how medieval literature is taught and studied, by putting women’s writing—across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia—at the centre of the story
New Medieval Books: Father Chaucer and the Apologists
New Medieval Books: The Conqueror’s Gift
New Medieval Books: The Medieval Moon
New Medieval Books: Celtic Magic
New Medieval Books: Ipomedon
New Medieval Books: The Rose, the Bastard and the Saint King
New Medieval Books: A Medieval Case for Islam’s Superiority
New Medieval Books: Blessed Mary and the Monks of England
Latest Podcast EpisodesAll posts
East Roman Archaeology: Goals and Challenges, with Marica Cassis
A conversation with Marica Cassis about the archaeological study of the east Roman world and how it interfaces with traditional, text-based historiography. What can archaeology see and what not? What challenges has it faced to emerge as a field and what are the prospects that it faces today?
Why were pseudo-Arabic inscriptions placed on churches in Greece?, with Alicia Walker
A conversation with Alicia Walker on the pseudo-Arabic inscriptions that appear on a number of tenth- and eleventh-century churches in Greece, most notably at the monastery of Hosios Loukas. What did the Arabic script signify in Orthodox culture at the time if not tension with Islam?
The Battle of Verneuil (1424)
After Henry V’s death, the Hundred Years’ War flares back to life as a Franco-Scottish army confronts the English in Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly dig into the Battle of Verneuil—one of the war’s bloodiest clashes—and why it mattered.
Talking Templars: Assassins versus Templars
The Assassins and the Knights Templar have become two of the most iconic groups of fighters from the period of the Crusades. In recent times, they have been popularised through the video game and movie franchise, Assassin’s Creed. But who were they really and how did they interact in the Holy Land?
The Classical Near East, with Kevin van Bladel
A conversation with Kevin van Bladel on his proposal regarding “The Classical Near East,” a constellation of fields defined by the classical literary…
The Battle of Dupplin Moor (1332)
Scotland’s in turmoil in the 1330s—and Edward III spots an opening. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly break down the Battle of Dupplin Moor, where tactics, terrain, and timing turn chaos into catastrophe.