The Crusades - Islamic Perspectives (Hardcover)

Born amid immense bloodshed and suffering, the Kingdom of Jerusalem remained a battlefield for almost 200 years. The long rivalry between Christianity and Islam led to the Crusades and gave rise to the Military Orders of the Templars and Hospitallers, and provided a backdrop to the careers of some of history's most famous leaders, including Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. This book shows how the savagery of the Crusaders often left their opponents reeling, creating frictions that survived more than 700 years. At the same time, as the book illustrates, art, architecture, and learning all benefited from new knowledge the Crusaders brought back from the East.