Crusades. Medieval Wars for the Holy Land

British historian Thomas Esbridge in his book recounts the Crusades — wars for dominance over the Holy Land, a region sacred to both Christians and followers of the Islamic faith — which were waged for two centuries. They involved such notable figures as Richard the Lionheart, Louis IX, Philip Augustus, Zengi, Baybars, and many others. By examining the history of this bloody struggle from the perspectives of both Christians and Muslims, the author thus avoids bias in the narrative. He also pays great attention to the lessons of these campaigns, warning against the dangers of historical parallelism. . .