The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt
Autor Thomas Smithen Limba Engleză Hardback – 8 sep 2026
In 1217, the crusader states were in a highly fragile condition. The Fourth Crusade had failed, and Jerusalem had not been recovered. The crusaders now set their sights on Egypt. If the breadbasket of the Mediterranean could be conquered, long-term Christian control of the Holy Land could be ensured. Led by the rulers of Hungary and Austria, and backed by the Knights Templar and Hospitaller, the Fifth Crusade was launched.
Thomas Smith tells the gripping story of the crusade for Egypt. Looking at a wide range of Christian and Muslim sources, Smith sheds new light on the brutal reality of medieval combat on land and water. We see a dramatic beach landing, the invention of a unique floating siege engine, and the conquest of the crucial port city of Damietta—one of the most famous and successful sieges of the crusades. Smith provides fresh insights into strategy, showing how, despite early victories, foolish decision making meant that the crusaders ultimately snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780300283952
ISBN-10: 0300283954
Pagini: 304
Ilustrații: 16 b-w illus. + 3 maps
Dimensiuni: 152 x 235 mm
Editura: Yale University Press
Colecția Yale University Press
ISBN-10: 0300283954
Pagini: 304
Ilustrații: 16 b-w illus. + 3 maps
Dimensiuni: 152 x 235 mm
Editura: Yale University Press
Colecția Yale University Press
Recenzii
“Vivid, dynamic and thought-provoking, The Fifth Crusade tells the complex story of holy war in Egypt between 1218 and 1221 with deep insight and compelling drama.”—Helen Castor, author of The Eagle and the Hart
“A page-turning and immensely readable book, The Fifth Crusade is packed full of fine detail and careful research, making it comprehensive and wholly engaging.”—Helen Carr, author of Sceptred Isle
“An excellent new look on one of the more overlooked, and fascinating, Crusades. Smith has an uncanny ability to draw readers into the world of the Crusader. The Fifth Crusade is intelligent, important, and overwhelmingly entertaining.”—Eleanor Janega, author of The Once and Future Sex
“This is crusading history as it deserves to be told. With acute judgement and narrative flair, Thomas Smith guides us through the turbulent campaign in which, in the early thirteenth century, the combined forces of Christian Europe attempted to take Egypt. Drawing from an expert understanding of the age and participant testimony, Smith takes us into the heart of the crusaders’ camp, as we experience events unfurl from the point of view of those who fought. This is a masterful telling of an epic crusading adventure.”—Sophie Thérèse Ambler, author of The Song of Simon de Montfort
“A wonderful read—this is popular history at its very best. Smith is the rarest and most welcome kind of historian—someone who is an expert scholar at the top of his game, highly respected by his academic peers, but who can also tell beautifully crafted and captivating stories for a broader audience.”—Steve Tibble, author of Assassins and Templars“In a compelling blend of vivid, confident storytelling and front-line scholarship, Thomas Smith nimbly weaves a path between kings, prophets, popes and sultans to bring the Fifth Crusade to life. The reader is fully drawn into the fears, frustrations and victories of the crusaders as they fought against the heat, the Muslims and the mighty River Nile. Unjustly neglected by scholars, this important and accessible book allows the Fifth Crusade to take its proper place in the history of the struggle for the Holy Land.”—Jonathan Phillips, author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin“Smith offers a vivid, energetic and beautifully detailed account of the Fifth Crusade. Careful use of primary sources shines through the narrative, which offers different perspectives and reminds the reader of the depth and richness medieval history has to offer.”—Matt Lewis, author of Richard III
“A page-turning and immensely readable book, The Fifth Crusade is packed full of fine detail and careful research, making it comprehensive and wholly engaging.”—Helen Carr, author of Sceptred Isle
“An excellent new look on one of the more overlooked, and fascinating, Crusades. Smith has an uncanny ability to draw readers into the world of the Crusader. The Fifth Crusade is intelligent, important, and overwhelmingly entertaining.”—Eleanor Janega, author of The Once and Future Sex
“This is crusading history as it deserves to be told. With acute judgement and narrative flair, Thomas Smith guides us through the turbulent campaign in which, in the early thirteenth century, the combined forces of Christian Europe attempted to take Egypt. Drawing from an expert understanding of the age and participant testimony, Smith takes us into the heart of the crusaders’ camp, as we experience events unfurl from the point of view of those who fought. This is a masterful telling of an epic crusading adventure.”—Sophie Thérèse Ambler, author of The Song of Simon de Montfort
“A wonderful read—this is popular history at its very best. Smith is the rarest and most welcome kind of historian—someone who is an expert scholar at the top of his game, highly respected by his academic peers, but who can also tell beautifully crafted and captivating stories for a broader audience.”—Steve Tibble, author of Assassins and Templars“In a compelling blend of vivid, confident storytelling and front-line scholarship, Thomas Smith nimbly weaves a path between kings, prophets, popes and sultans to bring the Fifth Crusade to life. The reader is fully drawn into the fears, frustrations and victories of the crusaders as they fought against the heat, the Muslims and the mighty River Nile. Unjustly neglected by scholars, this important and accessible book allows the Fifth Crusade to take its proper place in the history of the struggle for the Holy Land.”—Jonathan Phillips, author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin“Smith offers a vivid, energetic and beautifully detailed account of the Fifth Crusade. Careful use of primary sources shines through the narrative, which offers different perspectives and reminds the reader of the depth and richness medieval history has to offer.”—Matt Lewis, author of Richard III
Notă biografică
Thomas Smith is keeper of the scholars at Rugby School and an honorary research fellow at Royal Holloway and the University of Kent. A leading expert on the Fifth Crusade, he is the author of Rewriting the First Crusade and Curia and Crusade. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2017.