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Finished this book in less than a day a few minutes ago. Quite a decent read, mentions the siege of Acre and the battles fought, the ups and downs in the ranks of the Muslims and Crusaders, the indecisiveness that led to the two year siege & how countless of lives were lost.
The biography of Saladin that I read earlier this year had alluded to the weaknesses of his leadership especially during the siege of Acre which has also been mentioned in this book as well. The invincibility factor indeed gets some revision and how his indecisiveness changed the
tide of the battle. On multiple occasions, Saladin failed to press the advantages his commanders had created in the field to fully vanquish his foes, the crusaders. Vice versa the Crusaders on multiple occasions out of their sheer pride refused to accept the surrender of the
Muslim garrison at Acre, believing that victory outright & the spoils of looting and booty would be deprived to them. The author narrates a tale where both sides failed at grasping the advantage at key moments during the siege which elongated its duration & caused countless
deaths. Also, the killing of thousands of Muslim prisoners after the siege of Acre by Richard the Lionheart and the causes behind it are mentioned in detail and how the covenant reached with Saladin was contravened by the latter. The apparent ruthlessness on display
and the practice of viewing the past from the present is considered something of a diabolical practice in the eyes of the author. Medieval sources for the siege provide incomplete insight and connecting the pieces and exhibiting a balanced narrative is futile.
This was the longest siege of the 12th century and one of the pivotal battles between the Crusaders and the Muslims after Hittin and preceded Richard the Lionhearts victories at Arsuf and Jaffa later. Acre’s fate was sealed a century later when the Mamluk armies laid siege to it
in 1291 and which led to the ultimate downfall of the Crusaders in the Levant.
Siege of Acre 1189-91 was the starting point of the Third Crusade and its significance cannot be underestimated since its fall is said to have made Saladin weep as like a mother would cry on the loss of her child. The significance of Acre led to the destruction of Saladin’s navy
and not one would be built to challenge and rival the European naval superiority till the 14th century.
The notable point in the recent books I have read about Acre is its significance as a port rivaling the importance of Tyre and Alexandria in the medieval ages. In the 13th century under the Crusaders, it became one of the most prosperous cities in the Levant.
Although, there is still a lot to learn about this period or to revisit some books I read before but seeing new research being done is very heartening. Approaching history and reading it with an open mindset remains the key to understanding narratives in a better way.
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