Crusade and Jihad: Origins, History, Aftermath

Malcolm Lambert looks afresh at the Christian and Islamic struggle to control the holy places of Palestine and the Middle East between the seventh and thirteenth centuries. Crusade and jihad are often reckoned to be two sides of the same coin: both resonate on opposing sides in the war on terror. This simple opposition, Dr Lambert argues, ignores crucial differences in their origins and meanings. He compares their early development in a narrative that places an equal emphasis on the complex inner histories of both Christendom and Islam, each of which were and are subject to internal tensions and dissent. The final chapters consider their long afterlife, including the nineteenth-century French imperial crusade to bring what they saw as their enlightened civilisation to a benighted world; the benign heritage of the Knights Hospitallers and the Royal National Lifeboat Association and the St John Ambulance Brigade; and the terrorists operating in the name of holy jihad in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and elsewhere.

About the Author :
Malcolm Lambert was formerly Reader in Medieval History at the University of Bristol. Of his book Medieval Heresy (now in its third edition), the American medieval historian, Norman F. Cantor, wrote: 'A masterpiece of learning, thought, and insight. No serious student of the Middle Ages will fail to read and indeed reread this seminal work. I regard it as one of the finest and most important books on medieval history ever written.' His other books include The Cathars (1998) and Christians and Pagans: The Conversion of Britain from Alban to Bede (2000). He lives in Worthing.

Review :
Well written and highly readable ... a clear narrative of what actually happened to Christians and Christianity between the third and eighth centuries. Accessible but highly knowledgeable...[it] offers valuable insights not often found in works of general crusading history Broad, comprehensive and revealing Thought-provoking and extremely readable From the reviews of Christians and Pagans: The Conversion of Britain from Alban to Bede (Yale University Press 2000) 'This book is a mine of information ... a most valuable guide to archaeological finds and literary sources for this period Lambert's engaging and readable account weaves archaeological and art-historical evidence with the literary record, demonstrating how the process of conversion changed the hearts and minds of the inhabitants of early medieval Britain.