The Leper King and his Heirs by Bernard Hamilton

The Leper King and his Heirs by Bernard Hamilton

The reign of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (1174-85) has traditionally been seen as a period of decline when, because of the king's illness, power came to be held by unsuitable men who made the wrong policy decisions. Notably, they ignored the advice of Raymond of Tripoli and attacked Saladin, who was prepared to keep peace with the Franks while uniting the Islamic near east under his rule. This book challenges that view, arguing that peace with Saladin was not a viable option for the Franks; that the young king, despite suffering from lepromatous leprosy (the most deadly form of the disease) was an excellent battle leader who strove with some success to frustrate Saladin's imperial ambitions; that Baldwin had to remain king in order to hold factions in check; but that the society over which he presided was, contrary to what is often said, vigorous and self-confident.

' … compelling … the book stands as a gifted work and one of the best introductions to the world of the Latin East produced to date' BBC History Magazine
' … judicious and learned book.' The Times Literary Supplement
' … Hamilton's evaluation of Baldwin is convincing and compelling.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History

Hamilton, Bernard: - Bernard Hamilton (1932-2019) was Professor of Crusading History at the University of Nottingham. His numerous publications include The Leper King and His Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem (2000), Religion in the Medieval West (2003) and The Christian World of the Middle Ages (2013).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521017473
ISBN 10	0521017475
Title	The Leper King and his Heirs
Author	Bernard Hamilton
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	2005-07-07
Number of pages	316
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.