Rewriting the Crusades?
Writing in around 1120, the medieval monk and historian called William of Malmesbury surprised later historians with his flowing descriptions of a buoyant English wine industry. Travelling through the Vale of Gloucester in south-western England, he wrote: “No county in England has so many or so good vineyards as this, either for fertility or for sweetness of grape. The wine has no unpleasant tartness or eagerness; and is little inferior to the French in sweetness.”
It is now widely accepted that medieval Europe benefited from an unusually warm and clement climate for about 300 years from AD 950 to 1250 in a time called the Medieval Warm Period.
There is little doubt this helped to power the economic and demographic revolution that swept Europe in the 150 years before the First Crusade, and made the crusading armies among the most numerous and best equipped in the world.
But what of the Middle East and North Africa?
In contrast to Europe, the latest climatic research suggests these regions were devastated by unprecedented droughts and cold weather. A record number of Nile droughts, lack of rainfall across the entire Middle East, and intense cold conditions from the Asiatic steppe lands into Syria caused economic collapse, population decline and political division. One historian has called it 'The Collapse of the Eastern Mediterranean."
In today's podcast episode, I ask whether we need to rewrite the history of the Crusades in the light of our knew knowledge about climate change in the Middle Ages?
Enjoy!
NEW BOOK: THE INHERITORS OF ROME
The final book in my series on the Fall of the Roman Empire, The Inheritors of Rome, is now out in eBook and print on Amazon. It tells the story of what happened after Rome fell - from Charlemagne's empire to the Arab Caliphates. And how they were all inheritors of Rome. The audiobook will be out next year.
Thank you again for your continued interest and support.
Have a great weekend!
Nick
PS I'd be delighted if you wanted to forward this email to a friend who might be interested.
Nick Holmes, c/o Puttenham Press Ltd, Unit 121195, PO Box 6945, London, W1A 6US
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