Synopses & Reviews
The Crusades as seen through the eyes of Muslims A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION to the understanding of the medieval holy wars between Christians and Muslims, this volume brings together the best and most complete eyewitness account of the Crusades from the perspective of a medieval Muslim writer. Focusing on twelfth-century Arab aristocrat Usama ibn Munqidh?s Book of Contemplation but also including extracts from The Book of the Staff and Kernels of Refinement, this volume offers a strikingly human portrayal of I slamic perspectives on day-to-day existence, warfare, and the curious European invaders.
Synopsis
The volume comprises lightly annotated translation of a key medieval Arabic text that bears directly on the Crusades and Crusader society and the Muslim experience of them.
About the Author
Usama ibn Munqidh (10951188) was born in northern Syria and counted among his patrons the mighty sultan Saladin.
Paul M. Cobb is Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic History at the University of Pennsylvania.