Thomas Asbridge

Asbridge cant help but tell a ripping yarn, often breezily dramatic, whipping the narrative alongThe TimesA superb and definitive one-volume account of the Crusades, the impact of which still resonates to this day. In the eleventh century, 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 this First Crusade, Islam and the West fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars, both firm in the belief that they were at Gods work.The Crusades tells the story of this epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims, reconstructing the experiences and attitudes of those on either side of the conflict. Mixing pulsing narrative and piercing insight, it exposes the full horror, passion and barbaric grandeur of the crusading era.A dramatic and powerful look at both sides of the story Sunday TimesA compelling narrative... A masterful conclusionObserver

A nuanced and sophisticated analysis... ExhilaratingSunday Telegraph Nine hundred years ago, one of the most controversial episodes in Christian history was initiated. The Pope stated that, in spite of the apparently pacifist message of the New Testament, God actually wanted European knights to wage a fierce and bloody war against Islam and recapture Jerusalem. Thus was the First Crusade born. Focusing on the characters that drove this extraordinary campaign, this fascinating period of history is recreated through awe-inspiring and often barbaric tales of bold adventure while at the same time providing significant insights into early medieval society, morality and mentality. The First Crusade marked a watershed in relations between Islam and the West, a conflict that set these two world religions on a course towards deep-seated animosity and enduring enmity. The chilling reverberations of this earth-shattering clash still echo in the world today.[Asbridge] balances persuasive analysis with a flair for conveying with dramatic power the crusaders plight Financial Times

A rip-roaring new life of Marshal [a] splendid account of a great medieval life Dan Jones, author of CrusadersA thoroughly entertaining account of Englands most colourful and courageous medieval knight Sunday Times Drawing upon an array of contemporary evidence, renowned historian Thomas Asbridges authoritative and dramatic account brings to life the often overlooked figure of William Marshal, a man who not only served at the right hand of five English monarchs but also helped negotiate the terms of Magna Carta. Charting the unparalleled rise to prominence of a man bound to a code of honour, yet driven by unquenchable ambition, this knights tale lays bare the brutish realities of medieval warfare and the machinations of the royal court, and draws us into the heart of a formative period of our history: when the West emerged from the Dark Ages and stood on the brink of modernity. Friend of Richard the Lionheart and the infamous King John and, ultimately, regent of the realm, this is the story of one remarkable man and the forging of the English nation. Skilfully done...a powerful cast of characters that fascinates still TLS The medieval world...at last comes touchingly to life Spectator

Focusing particularly on the characters that drove this extraordinary campaign, and what drove them in turn, Tom Asbridge re-creates this fascinating period of history in a stunning narrative. Using the First Crusade as paradigm he then moves on to explore a range of themes and to challenge a number of assumptions -- among them the myth of well-armed crusader knights dominating the battlefield: in reality, poverty and starvation forced the knights of the First Crusade to chew dried pieces of leather and drink goats'' blood for sustenance, while riding in to battle on oxen and donkeys. Compelling and enlightening in equal measure, and drawing on new research which has radically remoulded our understanding of the movement, THE FIRST CRUSADE is a major work by an outstanding young historian.

Richard Is reign is both controversial and seemingly contradictory. One of Englands most famous medieval monarchs and a potent symbol of national identity, he barely spent six months on English soil during a ten-year reign and spoke French as his first language. Contemporaries dubbed him the Lionheart, reflecting a carefully cultivated reputation for bravery, prowess and knightly virtue, but this supposed paragon of chivalry butchered close to 3,000 prisoners in cold blood on a single day. And, though revered as Christian Europes greatest crusader, his grand campaign to the Holy Land failed to recover the city of Jerusalem from Islam.Seeking to reconcile this conflicting evidence, Thomas Asbridges incisive reappraisal of Richard Is career questions whether the Lionheart really did neglect his kingdom, considers why he devoted himself to the cause of holy war and asks how the memory of his life came to be interwoven with myth. Richard emerges as a formidable warrior-king, possessed of martial genius and a cultured intellect, yet burdened by the legacy of his dysfunctional dynasty and obsessed with the pursuit of honour and renown.

Thomas Asbridges remarkable new book reveals the global impact of humanitys greatest natural disaster, and the terrible human cost of this calamity.An up-to-the-hour work of scholarship that is at the same time a page turner... Asbridges definitive biography of yersina pestis, the germ that caused the worlds deadliest disease, is a masterpieceThomas W. LaqueurIn the mid-fourteenth century, a lethal plague struck the medieval world, causing unimaginable suffering and destruction. This terrifying pandemic the Black Death was unquestionably one of historys defining episodes, yet a critical feature of its progress has often been ignored: the disease was not confined to Europe, but rather affected almost all of the known world, including the Near and Middle East, Byzantium, north Africa and Asia.Tracing the pandemics course across the medieval globe, The Black Death contrasts the experiences of different peoples, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, charting this catastrophes transformative effects on diverse aspects of medieval life. And crucially, Asbridge demonstrates that the plague was often at its most destructive in the Islamic world, where it ultimately played a role in the collapse of the mighty Mamluk Empire.The Black Death also brings the human drama of this calamitous era to life, evoking the terror and the turmoil that beset cities such as London, Cairo and Florence. Asbridge reconstructs the lives of the men, women and children who faced the Black Death from ruling monarchs to peasant farmers laying bare both the abject horror they endured and the courageous resolve they often demonstrated while striving to survive.Uncovering a story that speaks to our own age, The Black Death highlights humankinds capacity for compassion and resilience amidst a global crisis to explain how the medieval world confronted, and ultimately overcame, this shattering pandemic.

From a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (The New Yorker) comes the most authoritative, readable single-volume military 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 Christianityboth firm in the belief that they were at Gods workfought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars.For the first time, this book tells the story of that epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims. A vivid and fast-paced narrative history of the Crusades, it exposes the full horror, passion, and barbaric grandeur of the Crusading era, leading us into a world of legendary championssuch as Richard the Lionheart and Saladinshadowy 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.Drawing on painstaking original research and an intimate knowledge of the history of the Near East, Thomas Asbridge uncovers what drove Muslims and Christians alike to embrace the ideals of jihad and crusade, revealing how these holy wars of medieval history reshaped the world and why they continue to influence events today.This essential work of scholarship reveals:Dual Perspective History: For the first time, the story is told from both Christian and Muslim viewpoints, exploring the ideals of Crusade and Jihad side-by-side. Iconic Historical Figures: Journey with legendary champions like Richard the Lionheart and Saladin through the ancient and contested landscapes of the Holy Land. The Fight for Jerusalem: Delve into the two-century struggle for a city revered by two faiths, a chillingly brutal conflict that reshaped the medieval world. Lasting Historical Impact: Discover not only how these holy wars defined the era, but why their legacy continues to influence global events today.

A renowned scholar brings to life medieval Englands most celebrated knight, William Marshalproviding an unprecedented and intimate view of this age and the legendary warrior class that shaped it.Caught on the wrong side of an English civil war and condemned by his father to the gallows at age five, William Marshal defied all odds to become one of Englands most celebrated knights. Thomas Asbridges rousing biography chronicles Williams rise, using his life as a prism to view the origins, experiences, and influence of the knight in British history.In Williams day, the brutish realities of war and politics collided with romanticized myths about an Arthurian golden age, giving rise to a new chivalric ideal in the Middle Ages. Asbridge details the training rituals, weaponry, and battle tactics of knighthood, and explores the codes of chivalry and courtliness that shaped their daily lives. These skills were essential to survive one of the most turbulent periods in English historyan era of striking transformation, as the West emerged from the Dark Ages.A leading retainer of five English kings, Marshal served the great figures of this age, from Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine to Richard the Lionheart and his infamous brother John, and was involved in some of the most critical phases of medieval history, from the Magna Carta to the survival of the Angevin/Plantagenet dynasty. Asbridge introduces this storied knight to modern readers and places him firmly in the context of the majesty, passion, and bloody intrigue of the Middle Ages.How did one man navigate the treacherous courts of five kings to become a legend?A Knights Life: Follow William from a childhood sentence of death to the pinnacle of the English warrior class, navigating a world of brutal warfare and romantic Arthurian ideals. Medieval Warfare: Discover the authentic training rituals, weaponry, and battlefield tactics that separated the most celebrated knights from the fallen. Royal Court Intrigue: Serve alongside five English kings, from Richard the Lionheart to the infamous King John, and witness the power plays of figures like Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. The Plantagenet Dynasty: Stand at the center of pivotal moments in British history, from the sealing of the Magna Carta to the fight for the survival of an empire.

A HISTÓRIA DEFINITIVA DE UM EVENTO QUE MARCOU UMA ERA.No século XI, um vasto exército cristão, convocado para a guerra santa pelo papa, invadiu o mundo muçulmano do Mediterrâneo oriental, tomando pos

En el siglo XI, un vasto ejército cristiano irrumpió en las tierras del Mediterráneo oriental y conquistó Jerusalén. Durante los doscientos años posteriores a la Primera Cruzada, el islam y Occidente libraron una lucha sin cuartel por el dominio de Tierra Santa que se materializo en una sucesion de guerras terribles.Thomas Asbridge, uno de los historiadores medievales mas destacados del panorama internacional, narra la historia del epico enfrentamiento desde la perspectiva de cristianos y musulmanes, reconstruye sus experiencias y actitudes, y expone los horrores, las pasiones y la barbarie de la era de las cruzadas con un fuerte pulso narrativo y una aguda y reveladora vision. Las cruzadas ofrece un retrato vivido y detallado del conflicto mas importante de la Edad Media y establece un nuevo estandar en el ambito de los estudios medievales. Gracias a sus exhaustivos conocimientos de Oriente Proximo y a nuevas fuentes, Asbridge nos descubre que llevo a musulmanes y cristianos a adoptar los ideales de la yihad y las cruzadas, y revela como estas guerras santas, cuyos ecos resuenan en nuestros dias, dieron forma al mundo tal y como lo conocemos.

Una obra maestra sobre la primera gran guerra para recuperar Tierra Santa.En noviembre del 1095, el papa Urbano II pronunció un trascendental discurso que encendió la llama del fervor cristiano en Occidente. Los cristianos de Oriente eran victimas de una violencia terrible, Jerusalen llevaba siglos en manos del enemigo musulman y era imperativo recuperarla. Miles de hombres, desde caballeros a desposeidos, respondieron a la llamada a las armas de Urbano con la mayor movilizacion militar desde la caida del Imperio romano: habia nacido la Primera Cruzada.En este libro, Thomas Asbridge, uno de los historiadores medievales mas destacados del panorama internacional, nos ofrece el apasionante relato de la titanica empresa que llevo a los cristianos de Occidente a cruzar el mundo conocido impulsados por la devocion y la ambicion. Acompañaremos a la hueste en Constantinopla, una ciudad exotica y opulenta que los cautivo, en el asedio de Nicea, en los duros veranos e inviernos en el desierto y en la decisiva batalla de Antioquia, hasta llegar al inesperado desenlace de la cruzada en la Ciudad Santa.Basandose en sus profundos conocimientos de las fuentes primarias y de Oriente Proximo y combinando el pulso narrativo de un novelista con su erudicion de historiador, Asbridge nos brinda una aventura repleta de victorias ...

Una obra maestra sobre la primera gran guerra para recuperar Tierra Santa. En noviembre del 1095, el papa Urbano II pronunció un trascendental discurso que encendió la llama del fervor cristiano en Occidente. Los cristianos de Oriente eran victimas de una violencia terrible, Jerusalen llevaba siglos en manos del enemigo musulman y era imperativo recuperarla. Miles de hombres, desde caballeros a desposeidos, respondieron a la llamada a las armas de Urbano con la mayor movilizacion militar desde la caida del Imperio romano: habia nacido la Primera Cruzada. En este libro, Thomas Asbridge, uno de los historiadores medievales mas destacados del panorama internacional, nos ofrece el apasionante relato de la titanica empresa que llevo a los cristianos de Occidente a cruzar el mundo conocido impulsados por la devocion y la ambicion. Acompañaremos a la hueste en Constantinopla, una ciudad exotica y opulenta que los cautivo, en el asedio de Nicea, en los duros veranos e inviernos en el desierto y en la decisiva batalla de Antioquia, hasta llegar al inesperado desenlace de la cruzada en la Ciudad Santa. Basandose en sus profundos conocimientos de las fuentes primarias y de Oriente Proximo y combinando el pulso narrativo de un novelista con su erudicion de historiador, Asbridge nos brinda una aventura repleta de victoria...