The Fifth Crusade:: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt
Thomas Smith
The Fifth Crusade tells the fascinating story of the Fifth Crusade for the first time to a wide audience.
Narrating the history of the first crusade to invade Egypt, it invites readers to accompany the crusaders on a globe-trotting journey, from the cool climate of northern Europe, across the perilous Mediterranean Sea, to the arid deserts of the Holy Land and Egypt. Written in a vivid and engaging style, and drawing upon the gamut of primary sources from both Christian and Muslim sides, readers will experience for themselves visions in the heavens in Europe, rough sea crossings to Palestine, crusader raids in the Holy Land, a beach landing in Egypt (in the style of a medieval Saving Private Ryan), one of the longest sieges in the history of the crusades, bloody battles and savage counter-siege warfare on the banks of the Nile.
Along the way, the crusaders suffer from flood, famine and plague. They experience betrayal, political machinations, personality clashes and backstabbing. They also discover ancient Egyptian temples when they conquer the city of Tanis (made famous as the setting for the lost city housing the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark). Readers will share in the crusaders’ triumphs, failures and sense of wonder, and gain an appreciation of how their religious faith drove them on when facing adversity. Threaded through the narrative is an account of the complicated dance of Christianity and Islam around dialogue and intolerance, including the Christian saint, Francis of Assisi, attempting to convert the sultan of Egypt and the forced conversion of captured Muslim children.
The story of the Egyptian crusade has the power to surprise and shock in equal measure. Along with a vivid sense of place of crusaders in the land of the pyramids, readers will gain a new understanding of the crusades, the nature of holy war in the Middle Ages, and the lives of the people who were at its centre.
Book Details:
- Author: Thomas Smith
- Published Year: 2026
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Rights Sold
- UK: Yale
- Poland: Wydawnictwo Astra
Thomas Smith
Dr Thomas Smith is a graduate of Kent and London universities; he gained his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2013, where he won a Reid Research Scholarship. Thomas was elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2017 and Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society in 2021 and holds honorary research fellowships at Royal Holloway, the University of Kent, and Oxford Brookes University. A former Lecturer in Medieval History at Trinity College, Dublin, he is one of the most prolific historians working on the Middle Ages.
He has been the recipient of a number of major research f...
More about Thomas Smith
Book Reviews
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"Vivid, dynamic and thought-provoking, The Fifth Crusade tells the complex story of holy war in Egypt between 1218 and 1221 with deep insight and compelling drama."
Helen Castor, author of The Eagle and the Hart -
"A page-turning and immensely readable book, The Fifth Crusade is packed full of fine detail and careful research, making it comprehensive and wholly engaging."
Helen Carr, author of Sceptred Isle -
"An excellent new look on one of the more overlooked, and fascinating, Crusades. Smith has an uncanny ability to draw readers into the world of the Crusader. The Fifth Crusade is intelligent, important, and overwhelmingly entertaining."
Eleanor Janega, author of The Once and Future Sex -
"This is crusading history as it deserves to be told. With acute judgement and narrative flair, Thomas Smith guides us through the turbulent campaign in which, in the early thirteenth century, the combined forces of Christian Europe attempted to take Egypt. Drawing from an expert understanding of the age and participant testimony, Smith takes us into the heart of the crusaders’ camp, as we experience events unfurl from the point of view of those who fought. This is a masterful telling of an epic crusading adventure."
Sophie Thérèse Ambler, author of The Song of Simon de Montfort -
"A wonderful read—this is popular history at its very best. Smith is the rarest and most welcome kind of historian—someone who is an expert scholar at the top of his game, highly respected by his academic peers, but who can also tell beautifully crafted and captivating stories for a broader audience."
Steve Tibble, author of Assassins and Templars -
"In a compelling blend of vivid, confident storytelling and front-line scholarship, Thomas Smith nimbly weaves a path between kings, prophets, popes and sultans to bring the Fifth Crusade to life. The reader is fully drawn into the fears, frustrations and victories of the crusaders as they fought against the heat, the Muslims and the mighty River Nile. Unjustly neglected by scholars, this important and accessible book allows the Fifth Crusade to take its proper place in the history of the struggle for the Holy Land."
Jonathan Phillips, author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin -
"Smith offers a vivid, energetic and beautifully detailed account of the Fifth Crusade. Careful use of primary sources shines through the narrative, which offers different perspectives and reminds the reader of the depth and richness medieval history has to offer."
Matt Lewis, author of Richard III -
"Smith displays an admirable command of a wide range of sources — both Christian and Muslim."
The Critic -
"an excellent account of the war… Smith's writing is lively, readable and accurate."
Jonathan Sumption, Spectator