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Amin Maalouf
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The Crusades Through Arab Eyes (Saqi Essentials) Paperback – April 29, 1989

by Amin Maalouf (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 774 ratings
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The author has combed the works of contemporary Arab chronicles of the Crusades, eyewitnesses and often participants. He retells their story and offers insights into the historical forces that shape Arab and Islamic consciousness today.
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Saqi Essentials
  2. Print length
    293 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Schocken
  5. Publication date
    April 29, 1989
  6. Dimensions
    5.14 x 0.65 x 7.98 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0805208984
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0805208986
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Crusades Through Arab Eyes may be warmly recommended to lay-readers and students alike."
—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

From the Inside Flap

as combed the works of contemporary Arab chronicles of the Crusades, eyewitnesses and often participants. He retells their story and offers insights into the historical forces that shape Arab and Islamic consciousness today.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Schocken (April 29, 1989)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 293 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805208984
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805208986
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.14 x 0.65 x 7.98 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 774 ratings

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Amin Maalouf

Amin Maalouf

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
774 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

radi radi
5.0 out of 5 stars One of a kind
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024
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The ultimate history of the crusades as seen from the side of the occupied. An amazing story telling experience by Amin Maalouf
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Justin F. Mc Donald
5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting book
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2004
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When I picked this book up I figured it would be an all out hate attack against the West and would prop up the East as being saintly. I was surprised though, because it was very little of that at all. In fact, most of the book revolved around the problems between the Arab emirs and sultans. It seems as though there political problems have not changed for hundreds of years, heck, it seems as though they were more screwed up than the Crusaders'.

Obviously there was some bias. Whenever the Crusaders won the Muslims "fought valiantly" and whenever the Muslims won the Crusaders were "crushed." But, do realize that this is an arab's perspective and a fanatic christian would probably do a similar turn.

It doesn't give a real concise history of the crusades because it seems that from the Arab's perspective, there isn't a numbering of crusades, rather, a constant threat of invasion. So, you would have to have a little knowledge of the crusades before reading this book so that one could distinguish between the 1st and 3rd crusade for instance.

I did like how it went into a bit of detail on Reynald de Chatillon, the merciless hater of Muslims who doesn't seem to get a whole lot of mention in any of Western accounts of the Crusades that I have mentioned, but even then there were some discontinuities, for I had though the 3rd crusade was started with his attacking a caravan with one of Saladin's wives, yet Maaloof only makes not of an attack on a caravan.

But, the author is fair and in the final piece, seems a bit reluctant to admit that while the Muslim east expended its energies to relieve the land of the "Franj" it in the same token lost much of what it made it a civilized land, in effect, passing their civilization onto the Franj in exchange, ironically, for the backwardness and religious fanaticism that was used to describe the first Frankish invaders in 1097.

Overall, I recommend this to anyone who has some idea of the crusades and wants a different outlook. Its an easy read, not weighed down by too many facts though for the Western reader, the Arabic names seem to get confusing at times.
18 people found this helpful
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Tim Johnson
4.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for a complete look at the Crusades.
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2004
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Oddly, I purchased this book some time ago but only read it over these past two weeks-a shame because it is a wonderful book and one that has expanded my understanding of all that happened during the centuries of the Crusades.

Maalouf's nicely condensed book is a joy to read with many passages from medieval Arab chroniclers and an ability to, for the most part, thread his [and our] way through mightily complex Near Eastern dynastic histories. I say for the most part because, particularly in Part Three, he gets mired in that political dynastic swamp alluded to previously. Fortunately he uses that historical patchy ground to launch into a discussion of the rise and dominance Saladin in this political morass.

Maalouf, because he is writing from a broader perspective than most Western Crusade historians, has illuminated the Near Eastern stage at the time clearer than the histories that I have read during these past years. It's strange reading the Crusade histories from this other perspective because it is like looking at a picture that you thought was familiar to you only to discover that you've been looking through a kaleidoscope and it is a little unsettling.

A person studies the Crusades through Western histories and their organization usually follows each Crusade from People's through Louis' Afracan debacles; Maalouf however, never mentions these separate crusades-in fact you read of Conrad's drowning death as an event that caused the collapse of a huge band of reinforcements coming to strengthen the seige of Acre. So these separate crusades that we in the West look upon as normal historiography are passed simply as new bands of reinforcements for events already taking place.

If I can criticize Maalouf, and I'm wary of doing so, I would say that for this reader he failed to present a comprehensive picture of all that was taking place in the Near East; rather he gives the reader extraordinarily detailed accounts of the details of dynastic history among a myriad of conflicting city states nominally under an umbrella government but in reality acting totally alone and for their own interests. And this is why the Crusades had any success at all-not western religious valor but eastern disunity.

Maalouf has written a great book and it has my highest recommendation.
17 people found this helpful
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Stephen E Israel
5.0 out of 5 stars An uncommon good look from the other side
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
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Maalouf writes well, and presents what Arabs were writing about the Crusaders at the time, with some surprising insights into both cultures, both the Muslims at their zenith, and their minds starting to close, and Europeans and early signs of democracy and closed minds starting to open.
One person found this helpful
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Nicole
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2024
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A fascinating if at times dense book, Maalouf provides detailed insight into the history of the crusades not often considered in the West which lays the groundwork for the next thousand years of history in the Middle East. An indispensable addition to any study of the period.
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Paul Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening
Reviewed in Australia on January 2, 2024
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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).
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Amazon Stephen R. C
4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic value
Reviewed in Japan on July 14, 2021
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An ex-library book in good condition and of fantastic value as a result.
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DDolsen
5.0 out of 5 stars How Arabs see past events and their influence on current affairs.
Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2015
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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.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Need of Primary Non European Materials: This work is a contribution
Reviewed in India on March 1, 2016
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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
7 people found this helpful
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Ludovic Leroy
5.0 out of 5 stars Estupendo!
Reviewed in Spain on October 3, 2015
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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
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