The Crusades Through Arab Eyes (Saqi Essentials Book 1) by Amin Maalouf (PDF)

Description

European and Arab versions of the Crusades have little in common. For Arabs, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were years of strenuous efforts to repel a brutal and destructive invasion by barbarian hordes. Under Saladin, an unstoppable Muslim army inspired by prophets and poets finally succeeded in destroying the most powerful Crusader kingdoms. The memory of this greatest and most enduring victory ever won by a non-European society against the West still lives in the minds of millions of Arabs today. Amin Maalouf has sifted through the works of a score of contemporary Arab chroniclers of the Crusades, eyewitnesses and often participants in the events. He retells their stories in their own vivacious style, giving us a vivid portrait of a society rent by internal conflicts and shaken by a traumatic encounter with an alien culture. He retraces two critical centuries of Middle Eastern history, and offers fascinating insights into some of the forces that shape Arab and Islamic consciousness today. ‘Well-researched and highly readable.’ Guardian ‘A useful and important analysis adding much to existing western histories … worth recommending to George Bush.’ London Review of Books ‘Maalouf tells an inspiring story … very readable … warmly recommended.’ Times Literary Supplement ‘A wide readership should enjoy this vivid narrative of stirring events.’ The Bookseller ‘Very well done indeed … Should be put in the hands of anyone who asks what lies behind the Middle East’s present conflicts.’ Middle East International

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Nice lunch kit. My wife says it’s a little small … story of my life.

⭐I used it for my small-medium Tupperware lunch box (bottom compartment), utensils and an ice pack (top compartment) – there’s basically no room left for anything else so don’t expect to fit a drink in here for example. In conjunction with an ice pack, it kept my lunches cool for 5 hours until it’d be time to eat. After 3 months of use, the zippers are still fully intact and not loose so the bag seems sturdy enough. I wish the strap/clasp on the top was more easy to grasp though.I’m a tidy person so I have yet to experience any situation to verify how leak-proof it is and as for cleaning it’s fairly easy although the mesh top compartment is a bit tricky to thoroughly clean.

⭐So I tested it out, and it kept my 2 sandwiches and my can of pepsi cold for about 5 hours (which is all it had to do). I left my home at 8am and when it came time to eat my lunch at 1pm it was still fairly cold. It is a bit small, but its large enough to hold 2 sandwiches and one can of pepsi. Thats good enough for me

⭐I bought this for my husband who doesn’t like to eat a big lunch. There’s enough room for a bottle of water (500ml) 2 small oranges and a muffin. Plus there’s a small zipper part that I put napkins in and there’s still a bit of room left!

⭐The size is actually bigger than expected. I wanted something small enough to fit in my daughters backpack but still able to fit everything. Fits 1 big container and ice pack or 2-3 smaller containers, snack, can of juice, and ice pack. You can pack it pretty full and it still zips up well. Daughter and I are both happy with it!

⭐My wife measured the lunch containers we take our lunch in then looked at the dimensions of the of the lunch box and thought it would fit, but the lunch container didn’t. The bag looks good and the quality of construction looks good but it’s smaller than what we thought.

⭐Great quality has a little smell to it but extremely small and way too much money

⭐Well that’s didn’t last at all! Only used a few times before end of school year and then now since school started Sept 6th and it’s broken. The insulation lining isn’t stitched far enough onto the zipper that it just came apart.It’s useless now as it will continue to come apart.Super disappointed.

⭐A very interesting book but spoiled by horrible layout problems in the Kindle version, especially a capital Y instead of an ope quote symbol ‘ throughout. Same on all devices. Please correct this and let me download it again.

⭐This concentrates on documentary sources from the Arab side, which is fascinating but rather depressing as it turns out they were as squabbling, ego driven and venal as the Europeans. For every hero, there’s a villain and plenty of people who were both at once. Well worth a read but not if you want to be cheered up!

⭐The book does exactly what is said on the cover, written or translated into an easy to read style. Certainly an interesting perspective and well worth a read for any one interested in the period.

⭐As the title clearly indicates, this book is an attempt to depict the experience of the crusades through Arab eyes; in my opinion, it succeeded.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. This book joins that short list.One of the many bonuses to this title was that it filled a lot of the gaps in the aftermath of July 1099, such as the attempts by the Fatimids to reconquer Jerusalem, how the crusaders conquered Tripoli, Acre, the impact of the Mongols and the Mamluks on Arab civilisation. You come across interesting characters including Saladin, Zangi, Nur-Al-Din, Baybars, Qutuz, to name a few.If I have any criticism, it is that some bits of information should not be taken at face value. For instance, the author asserts that Richard the Lionheart had Conrad of Montferrat killed by the Assassins – this is speculation at best.I really enjoyed reading this and have certainly developed a more informed view of the crusades.

⭐Really good read. Great perspective to see how this period mapped out through the eyes of the islamic inhabitants from squabbling petty rulers to the religious groups and the ordinary people. Seen through their eyes no one expected the invasions to be successful and so bloody and how the people despaired of their leaders to mount a defense and drive the crusaders back into the sea. As the story progresses we see how champions eventually emerged and were able to focus and turn the tide. We also see how the invaders eventually succumbed to the same intrigues and power struggles as their rival Islamic enemies.

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