Stock image for illustration purposes only - book cover, edition or condition may vary.
The Leper King and his Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
Bernard Hamilton
€ 52.20
FREE Delivery in Ireland
Description for The Leper King and his Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
Paperback. .
The reign of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (1174-85) has traditionally been seen as a period of decline when, because of the king's illness, power came to be held by unsuitable men who made the wrong policy decisions. Notably, they ignored the advice of Raymond of Tripoli and attacked Saladin, who was prepared to keep peace with the Franks while uniting the Islamic near east under his rule. This book challenges that view, arguing that peace with Saladin was not a viable option for the Franks; that the young king, despite suffering from lepromatous leprosy (the most deadly form of the disease) was an excellent battle leader who strove with some success to frustrate Saladin's imperial ambitions; that Baldwin had to remain king in order to hold factions in check; but that the society over which he presided was, contrary to what is often said, vigorous and self-confident.
Product Details
Publisher
Cambridge University Press United Kingdom
Number of pages
316
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2005
Condition
New
Number of Pages
316
Place of Publication
Cambridge, United Kingdom
ISBN
9780521017473
SKU
V9780521017473
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 4 to 8 working days
Ref
99-1
Reviews for The Leper King and his Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
' ... compelling ... the book stands as a gifted work and one of the best introductions to the world of the Latin East produced to date.' BBC History Magazine ' ... judicious and learned book.' The Times Literary Supplement ' ... Hamilton's evaluation of Baldwin is convincing and compelling.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History Hamilton (Nottingham, emeritus) offers a thorough reassessment of the reign of Baldwin IV, the leper king whose reign is often interpreted as a period of decline leading to the disaster at Hattin two years after Baldwin's death in 1185. This study belongs in all medieval history collections. Choice Hamilton deserves major congratulations for helping us to see what an excellent historian can accomplish by a careful reading of the sources and a catholicity of view that encompasses the whole historical fabric, as well as what he recognizes lies beyond the evidence...Hamilton's account will now provide the basis for a new understanding. Historian