Thomas Scott Asbridge (born 1969) is a

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

Queen Mary University of London Queen Mary University of London (QMUL, or informally QM, and formerly Queen Mary and Westfield College) is a public university, public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University ...

, a position he has held since 1999. He is the author of ''The First Crusade: A New History'' (2004), a book which describes the background, events, and consequences of the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

, as well as of ''The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land'' (2010), a volume providing a view on the crusading movement, portraying the ideas of justified violence and

jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...

. Asbridge graduated from

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

with a BA in Ancient and Medieval History, before earning his PhD at the

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. It ...

. Asbridge's first major work was a revised version of his doctoral thesis, entitled ''The Creation of the Principality of Antioch, 1098-1130''. Asbridge also wrote and presented a three-part

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

series on The Crusades, and was the historical consultant for '' Kingdom of Heaven'' (2005). Asbridge has, more recently, expanded his output with books on

Medieval England England in the Middle Ages concerns the history of England during the Middle Ages, medieval period, from the end of the 5th century through to the start of the Early modern Britain, early modern period in 1485. When England emerged from the co ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the first major release being ''The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power behind Five English Thrones'' in 2015, based on the life of William Marshal, a knight within

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine ( or ; ; , or ; – 1 April 1204) was Duchess of Aquitaine from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, and Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II. As ...

Henry the Young King Henry the Young King (28 February 1155 – 11 June 1183) was the eldest son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine to survive childhood. In 1170, he became titular King of England, Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine. Henry th ...

, and

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

's retinue. Asbridge presented a BBC documentary on Marshal in 2014. He wrote a book for the

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

monarch series on Richard I which came out in 2018.

References

Bibliography

* Walter the Chancellor, ''Walter the Chancellor's The Antiochene Wars'', eds. & trans. T. S. Asbridge & S. B. Edgington (Aldershot, 1999). * Asbridge, T. S., 'Alice of Antioch: A Case Study of Female Power in the Twelfth Century', ''The Experience of Crusading: Defending the Crusader Kingdom'', eds. P. W. Edbury & J. P. Philips (Cambridge, 2003). * Asbridge, T., ''Richard I, The Crusader King'' (Penguin Monarchs) (London, 2018). * Asbridge, T.
Talking to the Enemy: The Role and Purpose of Negotiations between Saladin and Richard the Lionheart During the Third Crusade
''Journal of Medieval History'' (2013) vol. 39 (3), pp. 275–296. * Asbridge, T. S., ''The Creation of the Principality of Antioch, 1098-1130'' (Woodbridge, 2000). * Asbridge, T., ''The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land'' (London, 2010). * Asbridge, T., ''The First Crusade: A New History'' (London, 2005). * Asbridge, T., ''The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshall'' (London, 2015). British medievalists Historians of the Crusades Academics of the University of London Academics of Queen Mary University of London Alumni of Cardiff University Living people 1969 births {{UK-historian-stub