The crusades through arab eyes is a narrative history by amin maalouf to give westerners a glimpse of how the muslim world in general saw the crusades as they were happening over two hundred year span. The rewriting of history in amin maaloufs the crusades. Amin maalouf has sifted through the works of a score of contemporary arab chroniclers of the crusades, eyewitnesses and often participants in the events. European and arab versions of the crusades have little in common. In the crusades through arab eyes, amin maalouf has sifted through the works of a. Maalouf offers fascinating insights into the historical forces that even today shape arab and islamic consciousness. As the name suggests, the book is a narrative retelling of primary sources drawn from various arab chronicles that seeks to provide an arab perspective on the crusades, and especially regarding the crusaders the franks, as the arabs called them who are considered cruel, savage, ignorant and culturally backward. The dramatic story of the crusades seen through arab eyes from the seizing of jerusalem under pope urban ii in 1099 to its recapture by salah addin, richard the lionhearts efforts to regain. Rhonda roumani reports from democracys front lines. Sep 01, 2010 scenes from kingdom of heaven and a documentary. The crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf, the oxford illustrated history of the crusades by jonathan rileysmith, a hi.
If we seek peace, it is particularly interesting to. The crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf this was a relatively short book 266 pages, but a huge story that spans the initial invasion of nicaea in what is now turkey in 1096 to the final expulsion of the franj meaning all western christians in 1291. Its content is based almost exclusively on the testimony of contemporary arab historians and chroniclers. Comparative paper notes comparative paper notes the. The crusades through arab eyes is a french language historical essay by lebanese author amin maalouf. He retells their story and offers insights into the historical forces that shape arab and islamic consciousness today. This paper analyzes the narrative strategies that shape maaloufs rewriting of the history of the crusades, examines why considerations of the problems inherent to the historiographical act are relegated to the. Comparative paper notes the crusades through arab eyes amin maalouf summary. For arabs, the twelfth and thirteen centuries were years of strenuous efforts to repel a brutal and destructive invasion by barbarian hordes. The crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf librarything. To ask other readers questions about the crusades through arab eyes.
It presents the dramatic story of the medieval religious war through an arab point of view. An arab perspective is a fourpart series produced by al jazeera english, which first aired in december of 2016. The awardwinning novelist amin maalouf has been highly praised for this thoroughly researched work, especially from nonmuslim sources, even though the crusades through arab eyes sets out to redress the balance after centuries of historical bias by presenting the arab side of the crusades in their own words. For arabs, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were years of strenuous. For arabs, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were years of. Editions of the crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf. He retells their stories in their own style, giving us a vivid portrait of a society rent by internal conflicts and shaken by traumatic encounter with an alien culture. Read the crusades through arab eyes, by amin maalouf online on bookmate european and arab versions of the crusades have little in common. Though i enjoy reading history, the crusades had never generated much interest. The crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf, jon. Reviewed by jon west two of the three divisions of the plo are named after medieval battles fought between the crusaders and arab forces in the levant. With the events of the past six months as background, the intriguing title of amin maaloufs book the crusades through arab eyes was enough to compel me to read it.
For arabs, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were years. The result is a unique take on a subject that most western readers know only from the other side. Review of the crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf by john sjoholm the lebanese french melkite greek catholic journalist and novelist amin maalouf did not set out to write an accurate history book or a fictive tale. Crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf alibris. In amin maaloufs 1984 the crusades through arab eyes, the lebanese journalist offers an account of the crusades from the arab perspective. For arabs, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were years of strenuous efforts to repel a. The crusades through arab eyes saqi essentials and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Until i read this title, my two favourite works concerning the crusades were the first crusade by thomas asbridge and the sword and the scimitar by ernle bradford. The crusades occurred at a time when arab culture was viewed by the west as sophisticated and advanced, compared to the franj franks or all westerners who were unrefined in comparison, amounting to a reversal of modern perspective maalouf, 1984, p.
The crusades through arab eyes audio book islam future. The crusades through muslim eyes, will be a two night presentation that will draw upon the most notable muslim historians of the era including ibn athir, usaman ibn mundiqh, ibn qalanisi, bahauddeen, and many others. The author has combed the works of contemporary arab chronicles of the crusades, eyewitnesses and often participants. The crusades through arab eyes ebook by amin maalouf. Cover story eight egyptian bloggers went to america to cover the race for the white house. From the first invasion in the eleventh century through till the general. As the title clearly indicates, this book is an attempt to depict the experience of the crusades through arab eyes. In the crusades through arab eyes, amin maalouf has sifted through the works of a score of. The crusades through arab eyes translated from the french by jon rothschild contents translators note foreword prologue part one.
Although the crusades ended on june 17, 1291, when the muslim armies. This welcome addition to the numerous volumes on the crusades is a wellwritten and absorbing history by a lebanese journalist for the general reader. In the crusades through arab eyes, amin maalouf has sifted through the works of a score of contemporary arab chroniclers of the crusades, eyewitnesses and often participants in the events. The crusades through arab eyes saqi essentials ebook. Buy the crusades through arab eyes saqi essentials reprint by amin maalouf, amin maalouf isbn.
The crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf, 9780805208986, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf goodreads. Audio book the physical book has been on my shelf for more than a decade, and i. The memory of this greatest and most enduring victory ever won by a noneuropean society against the west still lives in the minds of millions of arabs today. Buy the crusades through arab eyes saqi essentials 1st american ed by maalouf, amin, rothschild, jon isbn. Pdf the crusades through arab eyes amin maalouf download. The subject of the crusades has been of interest to me because of a recent movie called kingdom of heaven which features the time when saladin retakes jerusalem from the franj. The rewriting of history in amin maaloufs the crusades through arab eyes. The crusades through arab eyes, islamic books, muslim clothing, hijabs, digital qurans, cd and dvd, jewellery, gifts, attar, perfume, azan clock. Amin maalouf has sifted through the works of contemporary arab chroniclers of the crusades, eyewitnesses and often participants in the events. For arabs, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were y. Nov 02, 2012 amin maalouf, a lebanese catholic writer who lives in france and is a member of the academie francaise presents things very much from the point of view of arab muslim chroniclers who lived through the crusades, who wrote of the franj as barbarous, unwashed, promiscuous brutes who had invaded the house of islam without provocation and. Review of the crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf.
Lee the crusades through arab eyes por amin maalouf disponible en rakuten kobo. Sep 01, 2009 the crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf 1986 maalouf, a french lebanese journalist, tells this history of the crusades in the middle east by relying primarily on arab historians and diarists. Les croisades vues par les arabes is a french language historical essay by lebanese author amin maalouf as the name suggests, the book is a narrative retelling of primary sources drawn from various arab chronicles that seeks to provide an arab perspective on the crusades, and especially regarding the crusaders the franks franj, as the arabs. The dramatic story of the crusades seen through arab eyes from the seizing of jerusalem under pope urban ii in 1099 to its recapture by salah addin. The crusades through arab eyes, by amin maalouf, presents western readers and students of history with a view of the crusades that is seldom considered in the west. The crusades eyes without a face by billy idol youtube. The crusades is an authoritative, accessible singlevolume history of the brutal struggle for the holy land in the middle ages.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. These latter spoke not of crusades, but of frankish wars, or ythe frankish invasions. Read the crusades through arab eyes by amin maalouf available from rakuten kobo. Intriquing and entertaining, the crusades through arab eyes is a vivid portrait of a society nearly destroyed by internal conflict and shaken by a traumatic encounter with an alien culture. Crusades as they were seen, lived, and recorded on ythe other sidein other words, in the arab camp. Eurocentrism is a powerful influence, one that has largely shaped the writing of history that has been accepted at least tacitly by much of the worlds community of scholars. Amin maalouf european and arab versions of the crusades have little in common. Thomas asbridgea renowned historian who writes with maximum vividness joan acocella, the new yorkercovers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious, readable account of one of the most fascinating periods in history. The crusades through arab eyes book by amin maalouf. The dramatic story of the crusades seen through arab eyes from the seizing of jerusalem under pope urban ii.
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