Book Review: The Crusades Through Arab Eyes

By Imaad Adeel

This chronology of the Crusades, written by Amin Malouf, is based on the testimony of Arab historians and chroniclers. These historians spoke of the Crusades as “Frankish Wars,” and “Frankish Invasions” (in the book the Franks are referred to as the ‘Franj’ in Arabic). One of these historians and chroniclers was Ibn al-Qalansi, an Arab Politician and chronicler of the 12th century. Another was Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari, a well-known Kurdish historian, who right away exhibited his sympathy for Muslim rulers, who in this case was Antioch’s 11th century ruler, Yaghi-Siyan, after he left his city after an attack: “He burst into tears at having abandoned his family, his sons, and in great pain, he fell unconcious from his horse.” These Muslim historians wanted to convey the Islamic perspective of the Crusades.

In this captivating history of the Crusades, many details about conquests, relationships between the various rulers of the Muslim states at the time, and the lives of inspiring historical figures like Saladin are present. In the beginning of the book, there is the story of Seljuk King Kilij Arslan and the first Frankish invasion. In a page-turning chapter, the story went from Kilij Arslan thinking that the European invasion was a trivial matter, to the Franks showing up at the gates of Kilij Arslan’s capital, Nicaea.

The book illustrates how the disunity and distrust between Muslim rulers caused the loss of Jerusalem and many other Muslim lands to the Franks. However, in order to fully grasp and understand the content of this book, you must have at least minimal background knowledge of the Crusades and Islamic History. If you somewhat have an idea of what the Crusades were, this book will be quite enjoyable, as you will get many details and events about the Islamic perspective of the Crusades in chronological order. 

Overall, this book was a very enjoyable history read, and if you are into Islamic History, it is a must-read due to its detailed accounts and events. It conveys the Historian’s thoughts and sympathies, and a chronology of the Crusades that was precise with dates.  Many of your questions about Islamic History during this period (11th and 12th centuries) can be potentially answered in the detailed text. The author, Amin Maalouf is a French-Lebanese author that has received various awards for his works. The Crusades Through Arab Eyes is available on Amazon here.

Imaad Adeel is a 14 year old Pakistani-American with a deep passion for Islamic History and all of its aspects.