by Sharan Newman
Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. 256 pgs. Nonfiction
In the 12th century, Europeans began the Crusades, their attempt to free the holy land of Jerusalem from infidels and restore the sacred land that saw the life of Christ to the hands of Christians. Historian Newman shows how diverse the area really was, between different native Christian groups, Muslims, and Jews, and how politics of the region during the early 12th century weren’t strictly divided by religious lines, and that women held more power than in Europe during later centuries. She approaches this time period through the life of Queen Melisende, who inherited the throne of Jerusalem through her own right, and the life of her father Baldwin, one of the first crusaders and third elected king of Jerusalem after it had fallen to the Europeans.
This book presents a very accessible history of Jerusalem and the surrounding area during the first half of the 12th century. It promotes itself as a history of Melisende’s rule, but more than half of the book is spent setting the stage through the actions of her father Baldwin. When the historical record falls short the author is quick to insert her own speculation and commentary on things, which I found distracting. But it’s fairly clear when she is speculating versus presenting documented evidence, so it’s still an interesting history of the region. I would recommend this book to the casual history reader.
ER
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