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 race; as well as the st ...
at Queen Mary University of London, 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 medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ...
, 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 (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
.
Asbridge graduated from Cardiff University with a BA in Ancient and Medieval History, before earning his PhD at the
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...
. 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 series on The Crusades, and was the historical consultant for ''
Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven may refer to:
Religious
* Kingdom of Heaven (Gospel of Matthew)
** Kingship and kingdom of God, or simply Kingdom of God, the phrase used in the other gospels
* Kingdom of Heaven (Daviesite), a schismatic sect, founded by Will ...
'' (2005).
Asbridge has, more recently, expanded his retinue with books on Medieval England and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, 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 ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...
, Henry the Young King, and Richard I's retinue. Asbridge presented a BBC documentary on Marshal in 2014. He wrote a book for the
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a British 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 following year.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 medievalistsHistorians of the CrusadesAcademics of the University of LondonAcademics of Queen Mary University of LondonAlumni of Cardiff UniversityLiving people1969 births
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