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Books - Middle Ages
- The Crusades
 The Knights of Islam – the Wars of the Mamluks, 1250-1517, James Waterson.
Looks at the fascinating story of the Mamluk rulers of Egypt and Syria, who were responsible both for ending the existence of the last Crusader states, and defeating the Mongols just as they threatened to conquer the heartlands of Islam, before themselves being defeated by the rising power of the Ottomans. Looks at both the Mamluk as a soldier, at their peak amongst the best trained and most dedicated soldiers ever seen, and the Mamluk dynasty itself, which despite its achievements was often riven by discord and fierce political rivalries (Read Full Review)
 Siege Warfare during the Crusades, Michael S. Fulton.
A thematic account of siege warfare during the Crusading period, based on a broad study of Christian and Muslim fortifications including a comprehensive list of the sieges of the period. A good approach that gives us a detailed picture of how siege warfare developed during the two centuries of the Crusader period, a time in which sieges were by far the most important element of warfare. An excellent detailed examination of every aspect of siege warfare in this period (Read Full Review)
 Medieval Warfare Vol VI, Issue 5: Bernard's Chosen - The Knights Templar Focuses on the Knights Templar, one of the two famous main military orders who fought in the Middle East during the Crusades, but who are perhaps best known now for their destruction by Philip IV of France, and their seemingly endless appearances in modern fiction. Here the focus is on the real historical order, how they were founded and organised, the reasons for their successes, and for their defeats, how they were seen at the time, and how they were remembered [see more] |
 Saladin and the Fall of Jerusalem, Stanley Lane-Poole.
Originally published in 1898, but relying mainly on Arabic sources written by Saladin’s contemporaries, supported by accounts of the Third Crusade for the later part of the book. Provides a very readable account of Saladin’s career, from his unexpected promotion to ruler of Egypt, through his conquest of Syria and on to the defeat of the Crusaders at Hattin, the conquest of Jerusalem and the successful defence of the city against the forces of the Third Crusade. Generally favourable towards Saladin, although without becoming overly biased, and largely accurate due to the reliance on the main contemporary sources (Read Full Review)
 Medieval Warfare Vol VI, Issue 1: Reign of the Leper King - The Kingdom of Jeruslem . Focuses on the later years of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and in particular the reign of Baldwin IV, the Leper King, a short-lived but fairly effective king who managed to hold off the rising power of Saladin. Also looks at Odin's reputation as a warrior, the military career of St. Francis of Assisi, the Grand Chevauchee of 1355 and the purpose built war wagons of the Hussites [see more] |
 Saladin, David Nicolle. The book is a fascinating, balanced read portraying Saladin as a complex political and military leader of the Muslim world, who faced as many Muslim as Christian enemies. It is well written and as usual with Osprey well illustrated with maps, colour plates and black and white as well as colour photographs. The book examines his early life, his military and political campaigns and briefly his well known battles; it also looks at what motivated him as a leader. [ read full review]
 Saladin - Hero of Islam, Geoffrey Hindley. An invaluable, evenly-paced, full length biography of Saladin that spends as much time looking at his activities within the Islamic world as at his better known campaigns against the Crusader Kingdoms and the conquest of Jerusalem. A valuable look at the life of a leader who was respected on both sides of the religious divide in the Holy Land [ read full review]
 The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross (DVD). A 3-DVD boxed set that looks at the first three Crusades. Dramatic reconstructions supported by a good mix of experts means that the programmes give a well balanced account of the crusades, from the successful first crusade to the clash between Saladin and Richard the Lion Heart. [ read full review]
Nicolle, David, The First Crusade 1096-1099: Conquest of the Holy Land , Osprey Campaign Series, vol 132. The Osprey volume for the first crusade. Nicolle had a great depth of knowledge of middle-eastern history, which is reflected in this book.
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Medieval Warfare Vol VII, Issue 4: The Battle of Hattin - Fighting for the Holy Land. Focuses on the career of Saladin, looking at his place in the Middle East, his greatest successes and the less successful aftermath of the fall of Jerusalem. Also looks at the place of the Crusader Kingdoms in the Middle East, which was more complex than is normally acknowledged, and away from the theme covers the battle of Sandwich and the Teutonic Knights. [read full review] 
Medieval Warfare Vol IV Issue 5: Richard the Lionheart - Mediterranean adventures . Focuses on the adventures of Richard the Lionheart in the Mediterranean, where he campaigned on Sicily and Cyprus before even reaching the Holy Land, then won long lasting fame during his struggle with Saladin. Also looks at arm armour, castles on Cyprus and the evidence for post traumatic stress in the medieval world. [see more] 
