The Book of Contemplation
Islam and the Crusades
Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · September 30, 2008
The Crusades as seen through the eyes of Muslims A significant contribution to the understanding of the medieval holy wars between Christians and Muslims, this volume brings together the best and most complete eyewitness account of the Crusades from the perspective of a medieval Muslim writer.
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- Who it’s for
- A Muslim writer’s account makes the Crusades legible through daily life as well as warfare.
- Themes
- Crusades between Christians and Muslims, Medieval Muslim perspectives, Daily life and warfare
- Genres
- Medieval Warfare, History of Islam, Middle Eastern History
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Start with this bookAbout this book
The Crusades as seen through the eyes of Muslims A significant contribution to the understanding of the medieval holy wars between Christians and Muslims, this volume brings together the best and most complete eyewitness account of the Crusades from the perspective of a medieval Muslim writer.
Continue reading
Focusing on twelfth-century Arab aristocrat Usama ibn Munqidh's Book of Contemplation but also including extracts from The Book of the Staff and Kernels of Refinement, this volume offers a strikingly human portrayal of Islamic perspectives on day-to-day existence, warfare, and the curious European invaders. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
A Medieval View
A Muslim writer’s account makes the Crusades legible through daily life as well as warfare.
Come here for
- A medieval Muslim perspective on the Crusades
- Daily existence alongside warfare and encounters with European invaders
Expect
- An eyewitness account centered on the Book of Contemplation
- Further extracts from two other works
Where it sits
| History of Islam | 54% |
|---|---|
| Medieval Warfare | 42% |
| Middle Eastern History | 38% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Middle Eastern History
- Medieval Warfare
- Islamic Studies
- Authors
- Usama ibn Munqidh
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- September 30, 2008
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Crusades between Christians and Muslims · Medieval Muslim perspectives · Daily life and warfare
- Reading lane
- Middle Eastern History