Customer Reviews

The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is an excellent review of the most up-to-date knowledge we have about contemporary Islamic persepctives on the "Wars of the Cross." The author carefully sets our her purpose in writing this work, which includes both Muslim sources for the major figures and events, as well as Muslim perceptions of the Crusaders and how the Crusades have influenced Middle Eastern history. Anyone wishing to learn fully about this time period must read this work.

Hillenbrand did a fantastic job writing this book. It is easily the most detailed, nuanced, and evenhanded treatment about the Crusades from the Islamic perspective available. The only drawback is that it is extensively illustrated, with images on nearly every page, and few of the images have any direct relationship to the text. Hillenbrand herself states that most of the illustrations were included simply to give readers a feel for the visual character of medieval Islam. This is a sensible goal, but surely could have been achieved with less. I suspect that it is because of the printing costs of so many unnecessary pictures that the cover price for the paperback is over $70 and the hardcover a whopping $250. The publishers should seriously consider issuing a second edition with 90% of the illustrations removed and a cover price around $25-35 for the paperback. Then this book could receive the wide readership it deserves.

I have only skimmed the surface of this book, yet am very impressed. The bibliography alone is a treasure for anyone studying the Crusades. It's arranged so that the translated chronicles are used to illustrate points in the narrative. The index is detailed and useful, while the narrative itself is easy to read and divided into subsections within the chapters (for example: Old Frankish Women, Marriage, Medicine etc.) A welcome addition to Crusades scholarship, especially for students/readers who cannot read the originals.

This is the best-produced academic paperback I have ever seen. The book is wonderfully illustrated. The photographs are supplemented by hundreds of intriguing drawings in the wide margins. The text is spaciously presented and easy to read. I found zero typographical errors in more than six hundred pages of text, a delight in these days of hasty editing. Hillenbrand's writing is clear, straightforward, and balanced. The book presents a much-needed new perspective on the Crusades. Five stars.