About this item
From a New York Times-bestselling author, a stirring account of the siege of Acre in 1291, when the last Christian stronghold fell to the Muslim army The 1291 siege of Acre was the Alamo of the Christian Crusades -- the final bloody battle for the Holy Land. After a desperate six weeks, the beleaguered citadel surrendered to the Mamluks, bringing an end to Christendom's two-hundred year adventure in the Middle East.In The Accursed Tower, Roger Crowley delivers a lively narrative of the lead-up to the siege and a vivid, blow-by-blow account of the climactic battle. Drawing on extant Arabic sources as well as untranslated Latin documents, he argues that Acre is notable for technical advances in military planning and siege warfare, and extraordinary for its individual heroism and savage slaughter.
About the Author
Roger Crowley is a best-selling narrative historian, focused on writing page-turning history based on first-hand eyewitness accounts.As the child of a naval family, early experiences of life in Malta gave him a deep interest in the history and culture of the Mediterranean. He is the author of a trilogy of books on the Mediterranean world and the contest between Islam and Christianity: 1453, Empires of the Sea - a Sunday Times History Book of the Year and a New York Times Bestseller - and City of Fortune on Venice, as well as Conquerors - a history of the Portuguese discovery of the world. His next book, about the crusades, The Accursed Tower, will be published in October 2019. He lives in Gloucestershire, UKFor more information: Web www.rogercrowley.co.uk; Twitter @crowley_roger; Blog rogercrowley.blogspot.com
