--- product_id: 1705924 title: "The First Crusade: A New History" price: "SAR 150" currency: SAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1705924-the-first-crusade-a-new-history store_origin: SA region: Saudi Arabia --- # The First Crusade: A New History **Price:** SAR 150 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The First Crusade: A New History - **How much does it cost?** SAR 150 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.sa](https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1705924-the-first-crusade-a-new-history) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description On the last Tuesday of November 1095, Pope Urban II delivered an electrifying speech that launched the First Crusade. His words set Christendom afire. Some 100,000 men, from knights to paupers, took up the call--the largest mobilization of manpower since the fall of the Roman Empire. Now, in The First Crusade , Thomas Asbridge offers a gripping account of a titanic three-year adventure filled with miraculous victories, greedy princes and barbarity on a vast scale. Readers follow the crusaders from their mobilization in Europe (where great waves of anti-Semitism resulted in the deaths of thousands of Jews), to their arrival in Constantinople, an exotic, opulent city--ten times the size of any city in Europe--that bedazzled the Europeans. Featured in vivid detail are the siege of Nicaea and the pivotal battle for Antioch, the single most important military engagement of the entire expedition, where the crusaders, in desperate straits, routed a larger and better-equipped Muslim army. Through all this, the crusaders were driven on by intense religious devotion, convinced that their struggle would earn them the reward of eternal paradise in Heaven. But when a hardened core finally reached Jerusalem in 1099 they unleashed an unholy wave of brutality, slaughtering thousands of Muslims--men, women, and children--all in the name of Christianity. The First Crusade marked a watershed in relations between Islam and the West, a conflict that set these two world religions on a course toward deep-seated animosity and enduring enmity. The chilling reverberations of this earth-shattering clash still echo in the world today. Review: A fine presentation - The First Crusade has always fascinated me and I found Thomas Asbridge's book an excellent read. Well researched, it tends to stay away from much of the bias I have seen presented from modern perspectives. Overall, the book was well balanced, though the author found it difficult to believe that a Christian could be both a devout man of faith, dedicate his life to a Holy endeavor, and at the same time seek temporal rewards. In my estimation, the fact that Crusaders sought plunder and reward for their efforts beyond the Eternal reward promised by Pope Urban II, is neither confusing, nor indicative of base motives. Mr. Asbridge treats religious motives and the concept of Miracles with a degree of caution that is perhaps appropriate in a reasoned Historian. However, he in no way denigrates the Crusader's faith in God nor does he dismiss the fact that they readily believed in and depended on God's intervention to reach their goal. He also points out the brutality of both Franks and Muslims in this epic struggle. The author does ascribe a much more benign intent to Muslim Expansionism than I believe is warranted. At one point he states that by the time of the First Crusade, Islam had turned to more reasoned means to get what they wanted. This is unsupported by the facts. Islam's own factious nature had weakened it and the Crusaders were able to exploit that weakness, but this does not signal a change in Islamic Expansionism, nor that the Muslim world no longer looked to the West for future conquests. Christianity and Islam had been at war for hundreds of years and periods of inactivity do not indicate a shift in policy or intent. After all, as Mr. Asbridge indicates, the Byzantine Empire was begging the West for assistance against an implacable enemy. Additionally, the subtitle is, in my estimation, inaccurate. "The Roots of Conflict between Christianity and Islam" is a short-sighted, ill-considered statement. Islam may consider the Crusades a convenient excuse to foment anger and outrage among its adherents, but the Crusades were hardly the genesis of the conflict between these two religions. If a bully takes your lunch money, destroys your property, and threatens you until you finally punch him in the nose, he may well cry, "You see! That's why I don't like you." But your resistance to his intentions cannot be considered the "Roots of the Conflict." Finally, on page 52 Mr. Asbridge speaks of the weapons of the Franks, calling the sword "a heavy, but finely balanced, blunt-tipped bludgeoning tool." Mr. Asbridge is an able historian, a fine author, and a reasoned academic, but to call the marvelous swords carried by the Crusaders "bludgeoning tools," indicates that he is not a student of medieval weapons. Indeed, the majority of the swords from the Wallace Collection Museum in London from two-handed designs to rapiers weigh less than three pounds. Blade geometry, fit, and balance make these weapons far from "bludgeoning tools." I would refer interested readers to the article "What Did Historical Swords Weigh?" by J. Clements of ARMA. Yet these points aside, I was delighted with the book. It was compelling, gentle toward the sensibilities of persons of Faith without showing bias, and covered a wide range of perspective, though it was definitely written from the Frank's point of view. I will eagerly pick up other writings by this author and would recommend this work to anyone interested in the First Crusade. Samuel Schiller Vis Superavi Ignarum! Review: Excellent Introduction - Thomas Asbridge presents a very readable history of the First Crusade. As the subtitle states one of Asbridge's central themes of the book is to show how the reactions to the First Crusade by Western Europeans, the demonizing of Islam and the exaltation of the successful crusaders, had a very negative impact on interfaith relations. At both the start and end of the book Asbridge highlights the transformation to Christian-Muslim relations as a result of the First Crusade. Throughout the book examples are given to show the fractured Islamic leadership, with centers in both Baghdad and Cairo, and to show the varying ways that crusaders and Muslims interacted in Asia Minor and the Holy Land. Asbridge makes the Islamic internal divisions and power struggle a central reason as to why the First Crusaders were able to be successful. Throughout the book Asbridge provides a detailed account of the crusaders struggles and successes, he is able to transport the reader back to the events and show the human qualities of the crusader council. The military crusade leaders had to hold in tension the desire for penance and forgiveness of sins with the Western views of conquest and plunder. The spiritual piety of a pilgrimage had to be assisted by the military leadership associated with conquest. The council had to constantly weigh their actions against possible future retaliations, and against potential divine judgment. In some instances the leaders made truces and treaties with local Muslim leaders, and they even fought alongside Muslim allies if it was to their benefit. At one point during the crusade a treaty was reached with Cairo and peace established. As the Crusade unfolded inter-religious cooperation occurred more often than outright oppression and persecution. The discovery of the Holy Lance, whether or not it was authentic, reinvigorated the crusaders during a dark hour. With the assurance of God's blessing they were emboldened to attack and were able to defeat the Muslim host that had arrived to besiege them within the walls of Antioch. Some of the crusader actions are seen as contradictory to the modern reader, such as their actions following the brutal massacre and sacking of Jerusalem, when men attended a prayer service in the Holy Sepulcher still covered in blood and clutching their spoils. Asbridge wrote a detailed and lively account of the First Crusade, and through the course of the book showed how Christian-Muslim relations began to deteriorate as time went on. As the memory of the events began to fade from the European's minds their descriptions of the victories became more exaggerated and anti-Islamic. Muslims then began to take offense at the Christian's boldness and their divine mandate ideology for control of Jerusalem. When Muslims united against the Christians the long bitter struggle for the Holy Land began. Westerners harkened back to the success of the First Crusade as a rallying point and as the justification for future crusades. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #627,558 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #138 in Middle Eastern History (Books) #282 in Military History (Books) #289 in Christianity (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 311 Reviews | ## Images ![The First Crusade: A New History - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Y8BKNRQ-L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A fine presentation *by S***R on June 10, 2010* The First Crusade has always fascinated me and I found Thomas Asbridge's book an excellent read. Well researched, it tends to stay away from much of the bias I have seen presented from modern perspectives. Overall, the book was well balanced, though the author found it difficult to believe that a Christian could be both a devout man of faith, dedicate his life to a Holy endeavor, and at the same time seek temporal rewards. In my estimation, the fact that Crusaders sought plunder and reward for their efforts beyond the Eternal reward promised by Pope Urban II, is neither confusing, nor indicative of base motives. Mr. Asbridge treats religious motives and the concept of Miracles with a degree of caution that is perhaps appropriate in a reasoned Historian. However, he in no way denigrates the Crusader's faith in God nor does he dismiss the fact that they readily believed in and depended on God's intervention to reach their goal. He also points out the brutality of both Franks and Muslims in this epic struggle. The author does ascribe a much more benign intent to Muslim Expansionism than I believe is warranted. At one point he states that by the time of the First Crusade, Islam had turned to more reasoned means to get what they wanted. This is unsupported by the facts. Islam's own factious nature had weakened it and the Crusaders were able to exploit that weakness, but this does not signal a change in Islamic Expansionism, nor that the Muslim world no longer looked to the West for future conquests. Christianity and Islam had been at war for hundreds of years and periods of inactivity do not indicate a shift in policy or intent. After all, as Mr. Asbridge indicates, the Byzantine Empire was begging the West for assistance against an implacable enemy. Additionally, the subtitle is, in my estimation, inaccurate. "The Roots of Conflict between Christianity and Islam" is a short-sighted, ill-considered statement. Islam may consider the Crusades a convenient excuse to foment anger and outrage among its adherents, but the Crusades were hardly the genesis of the conflict between these two religions. If a bully takes your lunch money, destroys your property, and threatens you until you finally punch him in the nose, he may well cry, "You see! That's why I don't like you." But your resistance to his intentions cannot be considered the "Roots of the Conflict." Finally, on page 52 Mr. Asbridge speaks of the weapons of the Franks, calling the sword "a heavy, but finely balanced, blunt-tipped bludgeoning tool." Mr. Asbridge is an able historian, a fine author, and a reasoned academic, but to call the marvelous swords carried by the Crusaders "bludgeoning tools," indicates that he is not a student of medieval weapons. Indeed, the majority of the swords from the Wallace Collection Museum in London from two-handed designs to rapiers weigh less than three pounds. Blade geometry, fit, and balance make these weapons far from "bludgeoning tools." I would refer interested readers to the article "What Did Historical Swords Weigh?" by J. Clements of ARMA. Yet these points aside, I was delighted with the book. It was compelling, gentle toward the sensibilities of persons of Faith without showing bias, and covered a wide range of perspective, though it was definitely written from the Frank's point of view. I will eagerly pick up other writings by this author and would recommend this work to anyone interested in the First Crusade. Samuel Schiller Vis Superavi Ignarum! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Introduction *by K***R on February 17, 2011* Thomas Asbridge presents a very readable history of the First Crusade. As the subtitle states one of Asbridge's central themes of the book is to show how the reactions to the First Crusade by Western Europeans, the demonizing of Islam and the exaltation of the successful crusaders, had a very negative impact on interfaith relations. At both the start and end of the book Asbridge highlights the transformation to Christian-Muslim relations as a result of the First Crusade. Throughout the book examples are given to show the fractured Islamic leadership, with centers in both Baghdad and Cairo, and to show the varying ways that crusaders and Muslims interacted in Asia Minor and the Holy Land. Asbridge makes the Islamic internal divisions and power struggle a central reason as to why the First Crusaders were able to be successful. Throughout the book Asbridge provides a detailed account of the crusaders struggles and successes, he is able to transport the reader back to the events and show the human qualities of the crusader council. The military crusade leaders had to hold in tension the desire for penance and forgiveness of sins with the Western views of conquest and plunder. The spiritual piety of a pilgrimage had to be assisted by the military leadership associated with conquest. The council had to constantly weigh their actions against possible future retaliations, and against potential divine judgment. In some instances the leaders made truces and treaties with local Muslim leaders, and they even fought alongside Muslim allies if it was to their benefit. At one point during the crusade a treaty was reached with Cairo and peace established. As the Crusade unfolded inter-religious cooperation occurred more often than outright oppression and persecution. The discovery of the Holy Lance, whether or not it was authentic, reinvigorated the crusaders during a dark hour. With the assurance of God's blessing they were emboldened to attack and were able to defeat the Muslim host that had arrived to besiege them within the walls of Antioch. Some of the crusader actions are seen as contradictory to the modern reader, such as their actions following the brutal massacre and sacking of Jerusalem, when men attended a prayer service in the Holy Sepulcher still covered in blood and clutching their spoils. Asbridge wrote a detailed and lively account of the First Crusade, and through the course of the book showed how Christian-Muslim relations began to deteriorate as time went on. As the memory of the events began to fade from the European's minds their descriptions of the victories became more exaggerated and anti-Islamic. Muslims then began to take offense at the Christian's boldness and their divine mandate ideology for control of Jerusalem. When Muslims united against the Christians the long bitter struggle for the Holy Land began. Westerners harkened back to the success of the First Crusade as a rallying point and as the justification for future crusades. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sins And All, A Journey To The New Jerusalem *by T***S on January 27, 2007* Despite the controversy surrounding the morality and legacy of the Western Christian Crusades, the fact still remains that these campaigns are among the more remarkable human enterprises of the past millennium. One can draw many conclusions on the impact of the Crusades on Roman Christian relations with Eastern Christianity and Islam, or on the moral atrocities perpetrated in achieving their goals. And yet, the parties themselves involved in the thick of the battle were as often as not as pious as early medieval warriors could be, and carried within themselves for the most part some semblance of a pious and devout purpose that manifested itself in remarkable courage and amazing military execution. Thomas Asbridge takes a wide view of the First Crusade. In his opening chapter he briefly but comprehensively summarizes the many forces at work in the Roman West, from feudal economics to Gregorian reform. As no two historians agree precisely on why the Crusades took place [each Crusade, in fact, seemed to have its own genesis of purpose in some respects], no reader will agree on every point with Asbridge's conclusion that the roots of the First Crusade are, in the final analysis, spiritual ones. At the very least, the Asbridge conjecture is a refreshing change from the "bored, disinherited knight" hypothesis one sees so often. If later Crusades like the Fourth were hampered by a lack of manpower, the First Crusade may have had too many volunteers, at least too many of the wrong sort. Proclaimed in France by Pope Urban II in 1095 as a type of democratic call to penance and conversion, men and women [and even children] of all walks of life felt qualified and compelled to take up the cross, in the common parlance. Eccentric and unpredictable holy men like Peter the Hermit probably accelerated this trend. [By way of contrast, see Jonathan Phillips's "The Fourth Crusade" for a description of how recruiting and tactics evolved with a century of experience.] This Crusade was heavily French, but Asbridge observes that perhaps as many as twenty languages were in use among the forces. No European king took up the cross, but noblemen from many countries did, and it would take time for a leadership triumvirate to emerge. Asbridge places the number of knights and skilled soldiers at the beginning of the campaign at 40,000, with a wider circle of pious souls bringing the mass to close to 100,000, though the author is cautious about numbers throughout the work. Asbridge observes that while the overall goal of the army was the recapture of the Holy City Jerusalem, the psycho-spiritual center of the earth, there were many nuances in play. Aside from the obvious goal of eternal life, other subplots included, ironically, anti-Semitic violence. Add to this the aims of better relations with Orthodox Christianity, submission of Orthodox Christianity, submission of Islam, normalization of relations with Islamic local rulers, new trade arrangements, and in some cases outright land grabbing and plundering. A moving population of this magnitude would quickly defoliate everything in its path, which meant that the first leg of the Crusade from Italy to Constantinople would have to travel along three distinct European routes. The trip through Asia Minor, geographically and politically unfriendly, began the inevitable weeding out process. At Constantinople a wary Emperor Alexius I denied the Crusaders' request to join them, but made vague promises of support later upheld with varying degrees of usefulness. By the Constantinople phase, three leaders had emerged: Raymond of Toulouse, Bohemond of Taranto, and Godfrey of Buillon. Their interplay is key to the narrative as the Crusade proceeded south to capture the strategic Antioch. This ancient and extremely well-fortified city would consume the Crusaders in a year-long siege that nearly wrecked their enterprise. If the hand of God was with this Crusade, its presence was most felt in Antioch, when a far superior Moslem relief army was scattered by daring Crusader tactics and ineptitude of its own leadership. By this point Asbridge observed that the Crusade had lost most of its horses and nearly 80% of its manpower. But the remaining force was a much more efficient, battle-toughened army that reinvented itself during the Antiochene exile in the desert. With Antioch finally captured, Bohemond decided to stay as ruler of the city. This is not quite as crass as it may seem. Bohemond's and Godfrey's disagreement about Antioch seemed to reflect an ongoing philosophical debate as the capture of Jerusalem loomed closer. Bohemond envisioned a lasting Western presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. While he did well for himself in holding Antioch, it is true that Jerusalem did not exist in a vacuum and would require a regional pacification. Godfrey, on the other hand, felt the urgency of taking the Holy City immediately, which he accomplished with a largely Frankish army by a combination of advanced machinery, trickery, and reputation. Word of the Crusaders' savagery had preceded them, and when the defenses of Jerusalem were breeched, the invading army proved beyond any doubt that its reputation was well deserved. Even Asbridge concedes that the atrocities of the Crusaders in Jerusalem were among the worst in recorded history. He does make the point that to the medieval mind the most pious of intentions could live side by side with the savagery of the professional soldier. It is ironic that Pope Urban II died only days before news of the victory reached him. Godfrey is remembered today as the man who scaled the walls, but Bohemond had been correct, too. Jerusalem was as far as this army could go. Only 2100 soldiers were available to withstand a Fatimid counterattack shortly after the capture of Jerusalem, and only 300 remained with Godfrey for the long term occupation. In his concluding remarks, the author observes that, without diminishing the achievements of the Crusaders, the campaign had taken place when the Islamic world was woefully divided. The Crusade, ironically, sparked the drive toward Moslem reunification, a difficult story for a later day. ## Frequently Bought Together - The First Crusade: A New History - The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land - The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1705924-the-first-crusade-a-new-history](https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1705924-the-first-crusade-a-new-history) --- *Product available on Desertcart Saudi Arabia* *Store origin: SA* *Last updated: 2026-06-22*