"Recommend a book on the Crusades" Topic

I've taken the plunge and ordered an Ayyubid Egyptian army from Legio Heroica. Thought I'd ask the crowd any good books on the Crusades era that focus on the Armies of Islam?

I'm looking for something that covers -
* The main personalities on the Islam side
* Information on the armies (composition, uniforms and equipment)
* Nice pictures!

I'm about to order some of the Osprey titles, but thought to check here for some pointers.

The old WRG title on the subject is very good a kind of osprey on steroids, its oop though but turns up on ebay pretty regularly. edit: in fact there's a couple of buy it nows on ebay right now.

auction

link

Not a book, but a Yahoo group, that I've always found useful concerning the Arab/Muslim side:

link

It's the discussion group for the rules set 'Shattered lances' – non-members can view the Message archive, and use the message search function – always interesting posts from some real authorities on the subject – worth a look through.

Thank you all chaps, very helpful.

I finished Runciman last year (see Cardinal Hawkwood's links), and recommend him as an excellent first book (set) on the crusades.

any book titled
"The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" has to be worth a look, but I've not read it yet to confirm.

did you look at any of the Milirton figures? they did a small but stunning range recently, which may be worth a look for some extra character figures – although folk seem to disagree on how well they fit in with Legio H figures.

Look for books on the Arab conquests etc by John Bagot Glubb. Wonderful reading.

Try Ian Heath's "A Wargamer's guide to the Crusades". ISBN 0 85059 430 8.

In fact, I have a copy I would be willing to part with (I sold my figures years ago and went all horse and musket)

Greg C.
wargamehistory.blogspot.com

Unfortunately there isn't a great deal of literature (in English) that focus' on the Muslim (Ayyubid, Mamluk, Seljuk, etc.) side.

David Nicole has written some books on the topic:

Crusader Warfare Volume II: Muslims, Mongols and the Struggle against the Crusades
ISBN: 1847251463

Medieval Warfare Source Book: Christian Europe and Its Neighbors
ISBN: 185409307X

There are some primary Arabic sources that have been translated and are well worth reading such as:

A Rare and Excellent History of Saladin
ISBN: 0754633810

An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and Warrior in the Period of the Crusades
ISBN: 0231121253

Baybars I of Egypt
040417034X

The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades: Extracted and Translated from the Chronicle of Ibn Al-Qalanisi
ISBN: 0486425193

Memoirs of a Syrian Prince
ASIN: B003UHL428

The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh. Part 1 – 3
VOL 1 ISBN: 0754669505
VOL 2 ISBN: 0754669513
VOL 3 ISBN: 0754669521

If you can read Arabic there is a nice military manual written in the late 12th / early 13th century by al-Harawi. I'm in the middle of translating it but I will not be finished for a while.

There are some good scholarly papers that can be found on JSTOR. If you don't have access to JSTOR I can e-mail some of them to you.

Chris

""The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" has to be worth a look, but I've not read it yet to confirm."

I can confirm this book is well worth buying.

Fantastic suggestions here gents, very grateful.

"The Dream and the Tomb" is a great read.

link

Anything by Professor Jonathan Riley-Smith- The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading (1986) and the The First Crusaders 1095-1131 (1998)are highly recommended and available in reprints. Avoid any of the popular 'pseudo-history' books by the likes of Godfrey or Bartlett, they really are bad. As for the esteemed Runciman, read with great care, he does make things up! Gabrieli, The Arab Historians and the Crusades and Maalouf's The Crusades Through Arab Eyes are good but be aware that the Muslim sources are just as distorted as the Latin and Byzantine ones. As for actual rules no one has yet published a set which really manages to capture the essence of crusading warfare, whether in the Holy Land or on other frontiers of Christendom (the Baltic, Southern France or Spain). Most rules fail to simulate the effects of religious piety and belief on the conduct of crusading battles and warfare. I'm still trying to finish writing mine!

Wow – some heavy suggestions there for someone wanting to dip their toe into the period.

On the academic front, I would second this one:

Nicolle, D., Crusader Warfare Volume II: Muslims, Mongols and the Struggle against the Crusades. ISBN: 1847251463

David provides a useful summary of up-to-date research in a digestible form. However, he's also the author of Osprey volumes on this period and is safe enough for wargaming purposes.

Tom Asbridge's latest is also an easy read based on solid research. He's one of the world's foremost specialists on the 1st and 3rd Crusades: The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land. ISBN: 1849837708

Regards,

I would advise you not to use Asbridge, the book is limited (he only considers the Holy Land), and is very much like his TV series, which my students turned off after 20 mins of the first one because it was so bad. I've watched all three and they're patchy and miss out so much that they are virtually useless. So, I wouldn't go so far to grant him the accolade of 'foremost expert'. I would go for Jonathan Philips Holy Warriors if you're looking for a good basic narrative history which gives you the crusades in all their diversity. Nicolle is always good, but be very careful with his campaign books for Osprey.

Crusading Warfare 1097-1193 by R.C. Smail. Excellent although it covers mostly the franks.