040 __ |a BTCTA |b eng |c BTCTA |e rda |d YDXCP |d PBA |d BDX |d OCLCQ |d CNSSM |d IOH |d NSB |d OCLCF |d CaOTR

245 14 |a The Crusades : |b the authoritative history of the war for the Holy Land / |c Thomas Asbridge.

505 0_ |a The Coming of the Crusades. Holy war, holy land -- Syrian ordeals -- The sacred city -- Creating the crusader states -- Outremer -- Crusading reborn. -- The Response of Islam. Muslim revival -- The light of faith -- The wealth of Egypt -- Heir or usurper -- The Sultan of Islam -- Holy warrior. -- The Trial of Champions. Called to crusade -- The conqueror challenged -- The coming of kings -- Lionheart -- Jerusalem -- Resolution. -- The Struggle for Survival. Rejuvenation -- New paths -- A saint at war. -- Victory in the East. Lion of Egypt -- The Holy Land reclaimed -- Legacy of the crusades.

520 __ |a Drawing on original research and an intimate knowledge of the Near East, the author uncovers what drove Muslims and Christians alike to embrace the ideals of "jihad" and crusade, revealing how these holy wars reshaped the medieval world and why they continue to influence events today. This book is a history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land. Nine hundred years ago, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the Pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed, Islam and Christianity, both firm in the belief that they were at God's work, fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars known as the Crusades. This book tells the story of that epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims. A narrative history, it exposes the full horror, passion, and barbaric grandeur of the Crusading era, leading us into a world of legendary champions such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, shadowy Assassins, poet-warriors, and pious visionaries; across the desert sands of Egypt to the verdant forests of Lebanon; and through the ancient cities of Constantinople, Cairo, and Damascus.