The First Crusade : the Untold Story: The Call from the East

The First Crusade is one of the best-known and most written-about events in history but in this new book Dr Peter Frankopan asks vital questions that have never been posed before. ·This is the only book to address the history of the First Crusade from the perspective of the east, examining the role of the Byzantine Empire and its ruler, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. ·Peter Frankopan's focus on the imperial city of Constantinople and events in Asia Minor is the result of a major reinterpretation of eastern sources which reveal the crucial role of Byzantium in the genesis and execution of the First Crusade. Frankopanâe(tm)s revelation of a close cooperation between the pope in Rome and the emperor in Constantinople constitutes an important revision and brand new evidence of the history of the Church. This book questions the traditional view that the Catholic and Orthodox churches had broken definitively in 1054. ·Rather than viewing the Crusades as a conflict between Christianity and Islam, the book reveals a complex triangular relationship between the west, Byzantium and the Muslim world. So, The First Crusade constitutes a paradigm shift âe" it radically re-shapes our understanding of the aims, expectations, and long-term implications of the First Crusade and the Crusades as a whole. Most importantly it answers why was there a First Crusade? In1096, an expedition of extraordinary scale and ambition set off from Western Europe on a mass pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Three years later, after a journey which saw acute hardship, the most severe dangers and thousands of casualties, the knights of the First Crusade found themselves storming the fortifications and capturing the Holy City from its Muslim overlords. Against all the odds, the expedition had returned Jerusalem to Christian hands. With its themes of the rise of the papacy, the confrontation between Christianity and Islam, the evolution of the concept of holy war, of knightly piety and religious devotion, the First Crusade is one of the best-known and most written-about events in history. Yet this fascinating and innovative study, Peter Frankopan shifts the paradigm and asks vital questions that have never been posed before. Why was there an overwhelming desire to liberate Jerusalem in the mid-1090s, given that the city had been taken by the Muslims nearly 500 years earlier? What were the causes of the Crusade in the east which provoked such an overwhelming response in the west? What role was played by the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople in the genesis and execution of the expedition? In short, why was there a First Crusade? Rather than concentrating on the pope and the knights of western Europe who have dominated the history of the First Crusade for centuries, Frankopan focuses on Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. He brilliantly restores the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to the heart of the story, with a series of catastrophic events in the mid-1090s serving to paint a compelling and strikingly original picture of the expedition to Jerusalem that will change our understanding of the Crusades as a whole According to tradition, the First Crusade began at the instigation of Pope Urban II and culminated in July 1099, when thousands of western European knights liberated Jerusalem from the rising menace of Islam. But what if the First Crusade's real catalyst lay far to the east of Rome? In this groundbreaking book, countering nearly a millennium of scholarship, Peter Frankopan reveals the untold history of the First Crusade. Nearly all historians of the First Crusade focus on the papacy and its willing warriors in the West, along with innumerable popular tales of bravery, tragedy, and resilience. In sharp contrast, Frankopan examines events from the East, in particular from Constantinople, seat of the Christian Byzantine Empire. The result is revelatory. The true instigator of the First Crusade, we see, was the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who in 1095, with his realm under siege from the Turks and on the point of collapse, begged the pope for military support. Basing his account on long-ignored eastern sources, Frankopan also gives a provocative and highly original explanation of the world-changing events that followed the First Crusade. The Vatican's victory cemented papal power, while Constantinople, the heart of the still-vital Byzantine Empire, never recovered. As a result, both Alexios and Byzantium were consigned to the margins of history. From Frankopan's revolutionary work, we gain a more faithful understanding of the way the taking of Jerusalem set the stage for western Europe's dominance up to the present day and shaped the modern world. - Publisher. From The Author Of The No. 1 Bestseller The Silk Roads: A New History Of The World The First Crusade Is One Of The Best-known And Most Written-about Events In History But In This New Book Dr Peter Frankopan Asks Vital Questions That Have Never Been Posed Before. ·this Is The Only Book To Address The History Of The First Crusade From The Perspective Of The East, Examining The Role Of The Byzantine Empire And Its Ruler, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. ·peter Frankopan's Focus On The Imperial City Of Constantinople And Events In Asia Minor Is The Result Of A Major Reinterpretation Of Eastern Sources Which Reveal The Crucial Role Of Byzantium In The Genesis And Execution Of The First Crusade. Frankopan’s Revelation Of A Close Cooperation Between The Pope In Rome And The Emperor In Constantinople Constitutes An Important Revision And Brand New Evidence Of The History Of The Church. This Book Questions The Traditional View That The Catholic And Orthodox Churches Had Broken Definitively In 1054. ·rather Than Viewing The Crusades As A Conflict Between Christianity And Islam, The Book Reveals A Complex Triangular Relationship Between The West, Byzantium And The Muslim World. So, The First Crusade Constitutes A Paradigm Shift – It Radically Re-shapes Our Understanding Of The Aims, Expectations, And Long-term Implications Of The First Crusade And The Crusades As A Whole. Most Importantly It Answers Why Was There A First Crusade? FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SILK ROADS 'Filled with Byzantine intrigue, in every sense this book is important, compellingly revisionist and impressive in its scholarly use of totally fresh sources' Simon Sebag Montefiore In 1096, an expedition of extraordinary scale and ambition set off from Western Europe on a mass pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Three years later, after a journey which saw acute hardship, the most severe dangers and thousands of casualties, the knights of the First Crusade found themselves storming the fortifications and capturing the Holy City. Against all the odds, the expedition had returned Jerusalem to Christian hands. In 'the most significant contribution to rethinking the origins and course of the First Crusade for a generation' (Mark Whittow, TLS ), Frankopan paints a strikingly original picture of this infamous confrontation between Christianity and Islam. Focusing on Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, a truly fresh interpretation of a very old story emerges that radically alters our understanding of the entire crusade movement. FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SILK ROADS Discover 'the most significant contribution to rethinking the origins and course of the First Crusade for a generation' (Mark Whittow, TLS ) 'Filled with Byzantine intrigue, in every sense this book is important, compellingly revisionist and impressive' Simon Sebag Montefiore In 1096, an expedition of extraordinary scale and ambition set off from Western Europe on a mass pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Three years later, after a journey which saw acute hardship, the most severe dangers and thousands of casualties, the knights of the First Crusade found themselves storming the fortifications and capturing the Holy City. Against all the odds, the expedition had returned Jerusalem to Christian hands. Frankopan paints a strikingly original picture of this infamous confrontation between Christianity and Islam. Focusing on Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, a truly fresh interpretation of a very old story emerges that radically alters our understanding of the entire crusade movement. The First Crusade: The Untold Story is the first book, however, to address the history of the expedition from the perspective of Constantinople. It argues that, contrary to received wisdom, the Byzantine Empire and its ruler -- the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos -- were facing annihilation on the eve of the Crusade, and that the situation in Asia Minor and in Constantinople had been unravelling rapidly and disastrously from the start of the 1090s. It was for this reason that pleas for military support were made to the papacy u as well as to prominent aristocrats in Western Europe around this time. With its themes of the rise of the papacy, the confrontation between Christianity and Islam, the evolution of the concept of holy war, of knightly piety and religious devotion, it is not surprising that the First Crusade has proved enduringly popular, capturing the imagination of a wide audience for centuries. In this fascinating and innovative study, Frankopan brilliantly shifts the paradigm and asks vital questions that have never been posed before Europe in crisis The recovery of Constantinople Stability in the East The collapse of Asia Minor On the brink of disaster The call from the East The response of the West To the Imperial City First encounters with the enemy The struggle for the soul of the crusade The crusade unravels The consequences of the First Crusade. **FROM THE __SUNDAY TIMES__ BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF __THE SILK ROADS__** **'Filled with Byzantine intrigue, in every sense this book is important, compellingly revisionist and impressive in its scholarly use of totally fresh sources' Simon Sebag Montefiore** __TLS__