A major history of the Crusades that illuminates the strength and sophistication of the Western and Muslim armies.During the Crusades, the Western and Muslim armies developed various highly sophisticated strategies of both attack and defense, which evolved during the course of the battles. In this ambitious new work, Steve Tibble draws on a wide range of Muslim texts and archaeological evidence as well as more commonly cited Western sources to analyze the respective...

A vivid new history of the criminal underworld in the medieval Holy LandThe religious wars of the crusades are renowned for their military engagements. But the period was witness to brutality beyond the battlefield. More so than any other medieval war zone, the Holy Land was rife with unprecedented levels of criminality and violence.In the first history of its kind, Steve Tibble explores the criminal underbelly of the crusades. From gangsters and bandits to...

The story of the medieval world’s most extraordinary organisations, the Assassins and the TemplarsThe Assassins and the Templars are two of history’s most legendary groups. One was a Shi’ite religious sect, the other a Christian military order created to defend the Holy Land. Violently opposed, they had vastly different reputations, followings, and ambitions. Yet they developed strikingly similar strategies—and their intertwined stories have, oddly enough, uncanny ...

A gripping account of the Knights Templar, challenging received wisdom to show how these devout medieval knights played a profound role in making modern BritainThe Knights Templar have an enduring reputation—but not one they would recognize. Originally established in the twelfth century to protect pilgrims, the Order is remembered today for heresy, fanaticism, and even satanism.In this bold new interpretation, Steve Tibble sets out to correct the record. Th...

A new look at the crusaders, which shows how they pursued long-term plans and clear strategic goalsMedieval states, and particularly crusader societies, often have been considered brutish and culturally isolated. It seems unlikely that they could develop “strategy” in any meaningful sense. However, the crusaders were actually highly organized in their thinking and their decision making was rarely random.In this lively account, Steve Tibble draws on a rich a...

A gripping account of the Knights Templar, challenging received wisdom to show how these devout medieval knights played a profound role in making modern BritainThe Knights Templar have an enduring reputation—but not one they would recognize. Originally established in the twelfth century to protect pilgrims, the Order is remembered today for heresy, fanaticism, and even satanism.In this bold new interpretation, Steve Tibble sets out to correct the record. Th...

Delve into the fascinating world of dirt in this history of culture, cleanliness, and our evolving perceptions of what is and isn't gross.In this engaging and often humorous study of life's imperfections, public health and hygiene authority Terence McLaughlin dissects our attitudes toward the filth that has accompanied society throughout human history. According to him, "dirt" is a matter of opinion.Cultural attitudes about everything from factory smoke to ...

"An ethical and accessible introduction to a historical period often implicated in racist narratives of nationalism and imperialism." —Sierra Lomuto, Assistant Professor of Global Medieval Literature, Rowan UniversityA collection of twenty-two essays, Whose Middle Ages? gives nonspecialists access to the richness of our historical knowledge while debunking damaging misconceptions about the medieval past. Myths about the medieval period are especially belove...

"Honest, transparent, and realistic . . . His approach offers insights, advice, and sensible strategies to stop procrastinating and start writing." —Neil Foote, Principal Lecturer, Mayborn School of JournalismIn his debut title, Write Like You Mean It, award-winning journalist and content writer Steve Gamel dives into his best advice for writers that he has gathered over the years. With stories from his early years and frequent foibles as a journalist, Game...

This fresh treatment of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany reveals how the close relationship between Mussolini and Hitler influenced both men.From 1934 until 1944 Mussolini met Hitler numerous times, and the two developed a relationship that deeply affected both countries. While Germany is generally regarded as the senior power, Christian Goeschel demonstrates just how much history has underrepresented Mussolini's influence on his German ally.A scholar of twenti...

This definitive, single-volume edition of the Pulitzer Prize–winning biography delivers "a Lincoln whom no other man . . . could have given us" ( New York Herald Tribune Book Review).Celebrated for his vivid depictions of the nineteenth-century American Midwest, Carl Sandburg brings unique insight to the life of Abraham Lincoln in this distinguished biography. He captures both the man who grew up on the Indiana prairie and the president who held the countr...

"The rise and fall of transatlantic puritanism is told through political, theological, and personal conflict in this exceptional history." ( Publishers Weekly, starred review)Begun in the mid-sixteenth century by Protestant nonconformists keen to reform England's church and society while saving their own souls, the puritan movement was a major catalyst in the great cultural changes that transformed the early modern world. Providing a uniquely broad transatl...