Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors: Faith, Power, and Violence in the Age of Crusade and Jihad

by Brian Catlos

An in-depth portrait of the Crusades-era Mediterranean world, and a new understanding of the forces that shaped it.

In Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors, the award-winning scholar Brian Catlos puts us on the ground in the Mediterranean world of 1050–1200. We experience the sights and sounds of the region just as enlightened Islamic empires and primitive Christendom began to contest it. We learn about the siege tactics, theological disputes, and poetry of this enthralling time. And we see that people of different faiths coexisted far more frequently than we are commonly told.

Catlos’s meticulous reconstruction of the era allows him to stunningly overturn our most basic assumption about it: that it was defined by religious extremism. He brings to light many figures who were accepted as rulers by their ostensible foes. Samuel B. Naghrilla, a self-proclaimed Jewish messiah, became the force behind Muslim Granada. Bahram Pahlavuni, an Armenian Christian, wielded power in an Islamic caliphate. And Philip of Mahdia, a Muslim eunuch, rose to admiral in the service of Roger II, the Christian “King of Africa.”

What their lives reveal is that, then as now, politics were driven by a mix of self-interest, personality, and ideology. Catlos draws a similar lesson from his stirring chapters on the early Crusades, arguing that the notions of crusade and jihad were not causes of war but justifications. He imparts a crucial insight: the violence of the past cannot be blamed primarily on religion.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Medieval, War, European History, Spain

416 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

Brian Catlos spent over a decade living and travelling in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia before completing his PhD (Medieval Studies, Toronto) and joining the History Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

He is a former President of the American Academy of Research Historians of Medieval Spain, Co-Director of the Mediterranean Seminar (www.mediterraneanseminar.org), and of the University of California Multi-Campus Research Project on Mediterranean Studies, an affiliate of the UCLA Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, an associate of Spain's national research council (CSIC), and a member of several journal boards. He has published extensively on religious minorities and Christian-Muslim-Jewish relations in medieval Europe and the Islamic world, and has received numerous grants and awards, including an NEH Faculty Fellowship, and a Governor-General of Canada's Gold Medal. His first academic book, The Victors and the Vanquished, was awarded two prizes by the American Historical Association, and recent articles, 'The de Reys' and 'Accursed, Superior Men', won the Bishko Prize and the Webb Prize, respectively. In 2009 he was appointed to Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, with affiliations with Jewish Studies, History and Humanities;in 2011 he was appointed a Research Associated in Humanities at UC Santa Cruz. He appeared in the PBS documentary 'Cities of Light', and also writes travel guide books.

Reviews

[Mohamad Ballan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good, balanced introduction to the Mediterranean world between the 11th and 13th centuries. Prof. Catlos emphasizes the mixed motivations of the various actors, underscoring the importance of realpolitik and pragmatism over the dictates of ideology or theology in influencing the actions of political actors. This is not to say that he ignores the significance of religion and ideology during this period; quite the contrary. He demonstrates that many of the conflicts labeled as religious in nature were often driven largely much by more mundane factors, such as economics, social dynamics, or politics (itself inextricably linked with religion during this period). In underscoring the fluidity of frontiers and identities, Dr. Catlos allows the reader to appreciate the complexity of this period and to understand that the many political actors cannot be reduced to the simple category of "Catholic," "Orthodox," "Christian," "Muslim," "Sunni," "Shi'i", "Crusader," or "mujahid." There was far more at play.

The strongest chapters are 1-6 dealing with Iberia, Sicily and North Africa. This section was enlightening in several ways, especially since it undercuts many of the narratives ("Reconquista" or "Convivencia") that continue to dominate popular (and some academic) understandings of this period of Iberian history. The section on the Fatimids--while very compelling and providing important insights--contained some erroneous statements and mistakes that could have been avoided (eg. the (minor) Occultation of the Twelfth Imam began in 874, not 824; Ibn Khaldun died in 1406, not 1382; and Iran during this period was largely Sunni (Hanafi and Shafi'i), not Shi'i-oriented, although these labels are problematic for the earliest centuries of Islam anyways). The reader could have also been better-served by the inclusion of conventional footnotes/endnotes (although there are references for the main quotations in the back of the book, as well as a useful bibliographical section). However, overall, these are minor flaws in an important, compelling work.

One of the more delightful aspects of the book was the focus on key individuals--Ismail b. Naghrilla, Alfonso VI, Yusuf b. Tashufin, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar ("El Cid"), Roger II of Sicily, Philip of Mahdia, Bahram Pahlavuni, Alexios Komnenos, Salahuddin/Saladin etc.--who both helped shape the Mediterranean world of the 11th-13th centuries and were themselves products of it. Readers may find the figures of Ismail b. Naghrilla and Bahram Pahlavuni, both non-Muslims operating in Islamic polities, to be of particular interest since they represent both the possibilities and limitations faced by religious minorities in the Mediterranean world. At a time when the Andalusi Muslims of Iberia continue to be referred to (very problematically and inaccurately) as "Moors," Dr. Catlos should be highly commended for his accurate use of terminology and his recognition of the tenuous nature of identity (not least with regard to the issue of "ethnicity" or "race") during this period. The author, one of the leading scholars in the field of Mediterranean studies, is clearly very well-acquainted with these complexities and ensures that his readers are also aware of them.

All in all, this book is certainly worth reading. It is very well written, tightly-organized and full of great pieces of information that non-specialists, in particular, will find interesting. Dr. Catlos invites the reader to consider important questions such a the interrelationship between politics and religion, the role of ideology (vs. economic/socio-political factors) in conflict, and the relationship between the three Abrahamic faiths, which remain as important today as they were during the Middle Ages.

3.5/5

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One criterion I use in evaluating a book is how much new information I learned. Another is whether the information is significant, shedding light on my other interests. A third is, at the end of the day, did I enjoy reading it? On all three counts, Catlos' work is a resounding success.

This book explores various sites of inter-religious interaction in the Middle Ages, mostly the 10th to 12th centuries. Though it does not offer a systematic treatment of its topic, it performs the equally important service of depicting vividly individuals who exemplified common types of interaction. I think this kind of emblematic storytelling is exactly what most Westerners need. My head is already filled with certain medieval tropes: the friar, the (English or French) king, the pope, the peasant, etc. This filled in for me the crusader, the wazir, the caliph, the Muslim intellectual, etc. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the shining cities of the Arab world—Cordoba, Cairo, Valencia, and others. My ability to imagine this period and its inhabitants was greatly enhanced.

The moral of the story, which Catlos isn't at all shy about repeating, is that once one comes to a detailed understanding of this period of history, the idea of a Christian vs. Muslim clash of civilizations disperses like the foggy thinking it is. We find instead a host of clans, tribes, families, ethnic blocs, and other groups all jammed together, pursuing their own interests as much as possible without ruining life for everyone. Or, occasionally, with ruining life for everyone. Muslim rulers sometimes surrounded themselves with Jewish and Christian subordinates because they would be less likely to pull off a coup. Eastern Christians and Muslims often allied against Orthodox Byzantium. Latin Christian mercenaries could be found in the service of Arab armies. Thus, Catlos is able to deliver a compelling account of religion's role in the violence of the period. With a few exceptions, it was usually less of a factor than old-fashioned greed, revenge, or the will to power.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I wanted a book on the Crusades, but it turns out what I actually wanted was Catlos' story of how we got the Crusades. His first four chapters, before they kick off, all hold more than enough intrigue for an epic poem or a series of historical romances. In particular, I want an entertainment set in Fatimid Egypt. (Exiles! Betrayals! Multi-generational messianic revenge cults!) The First and Third Crusades are more a capstone, even an epilogue, than the main end of the story.

Throughout, Catlos judiciously illustrates the varieties of war and conflict in these settings, and how religious belief and rhetoric mostly didn't decisively influence political and social change. There's a whiff of economic determinism here: On the Crusades, for instance, Catlos argues they were first of all a series of Italian trade wars, which would have happened under some convenient justification or other regardless. He's no doubt right that the Fatimids and Seljuks saw Jerusalem as a backwater on those grounds, but I would have appreciated a bit more respect for why it mattered so much to those crusaders who expended blood and treasure to take it.

As religious history, the book is ... not bad, actually! When it narrates matters where I have specialist knowledge, like the schisms between Latins, Greeks, and Copts, it's actually very good at conveying what the reader needs to know without belaboring inessential points. So I'm inclined to trust its reading of the sociopolitical scene as well. And on that story, it is a very good read, on material I mostly found unfamiliar, and left me wanting more. Sadly, Catlos' notes suggest there isn't a good, recent, general history of Fatimid Egypt; but Ch. 1 reminds me that I've never read El Cid, and now it's on the list.

[Çağrı · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Catlos has done quite an admirable job at overviewing the complex Mediterranean region from around the 900s to 1300s, mainly through focussing on some key figures during these times.

Naming a few… from al Andalus we read of Abd al-Rahman III, the great caliph of Cordoba, Isma’il ibn Naghrilla, the Jew who rose to great heights in Muslim Granada during the taifa period and his son Yusuf ibn Naghrilla. Brian Catlos does well to bust the mythical image of ‘the Cid’ (Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar) portrayed by Spanish historians (until only recently) as a hero in the Reconquista - the Christian taifa king who fought against Muslims, and rightfully won back Spain from them. Instead, Catlos illustrates that ‘el Cid’ was just a product of his time; a pragmatic mercenary trying to gain power (who eventually succeeds and becomes king of Valencia) - meaning he would fight for Muslim rulers as often as he would for Christian ones.

Through reading the stories of the lives of figures during these periods, Catlos focuses on a key theme and message. Contrary to popular notions about this period of history, with common talk of Crusading and jihad being holy wars causing unimaginable violence, Catlos emphasises that the primary motive for these people was their lust for power and dominance, and religion was only an effective tool to serve their agenda and compel ordinaries to join their cause.

With the collapse of the caliphate of Cordoba and the slow ascent of Latin Christian Franks and Normans, the Mediterranean world was unstable and unpredictable, with whole peoples’ fates changing seemingly overnight. Sicily’s once vibrant Islamic society for example, was, beginning in 1224, transported to north Apulia where, by 1300 any vestiges of the community would be forcibly enslaved and entirely disappear from historical records.

It was in these contexts where the protagonists of Catlos’ book were fighting for dominance. In such savage times, those in power could trust very few and these would often be infidels rather than their coreligionists. Hence for example, we are told of Hasdai ibn Shaprut - the Jewish physician and rabbi - who became the caliph’s close friend and adviser; even leading some of his most delicate diplomatic missions.

Hence, these Abrahamic religions were actually remarkably intertwined in most societies across the Mediterranean. Either as Christian and Jewish dhimmis (subject but protected peoples) under Muslim rulers, or the Muslim inhabitants of the developed lands conquered by Christians, who realised, after some initial pillaging, that the Muslims were crucial in maintaining the continued prosperity of such conquered lands. And, as factions within the religions themselves deepened (for example; the Franks, Normans and Byzantines in Christianity, and the Ummayad, Abbasid, Saljuq Sunni’s and Fatimid Shia’s in Islam), the requirement for allies from the ‘enemy’ religion intensified. Hence, even after the First and Second Crusades - hardly united Christian efforts - the interdependence of the enemy religions intensified.

I must quote one of Catlos’ most important messages which sums up his conclusion regarding this fascinating period of history:
“What is often forgotten about the Middle Ages, and the era of Crusade and jihad above all, is that practice often diverges from principle. Because religion was largely a social, cultural, and political phenomenon, and because most people had little choice about their religious identity, many did not believe strongly in, know about, or even care about the finer theological details of their own faith.”

Therefore, Catlos’ work can be useful to counter all those anti-religionist non-historians (!) who highlight the continuous warfare from the period as evidence for immense religion-caused violence. Rather than being an insult at religion, I saw this as a reminder of the importance of one’s understanding of their own faith and the possible dangers of religious ignorance especially if its intermingled in a state’s political system.



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The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars is because at times, I felt as though there were so many key figures being mentioned (with little biographies of each) that, for me, it was difficult to keep up with all of them and follow along. Apologies if this is just me being fussy!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable book about the incredibly complicated, brutal world of the Mediterranean region during the Crusades era. The time is often generalized as a conflict between religions and nothing more, but the truth is a bit different. Muslim governors had Jewish viziers, Christian knights surrounded themselves with a Muslim court, Armenian mercenaries had huge power in Fatimid Egypt, and so on. It jumps around a bit but the areas it focuses on are Muslim Spain, Norman Sicily, North Africa, and Jerusalem among others. I wasn't really that familiar with this era of history and this book was a great overview that focused on the interactions between the huge patchwork of religions and ethnic groups in an area that was one of the most diverse in world history. Recommend!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A balanced reading of the Med during the 11th and 12th Centuries with focus on Crusades, Reconquista, and Jihad.

Worth a read for those interested in the field.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took some time building up, but actually quite interesting. The basic thesis that Christians and Muslims (and to a lesser extent, Jews) were less motivated by existential hatred of one another and more so by more mundane power considerations isn't new or surprising, the depiction of the intersections and commonalities of religious-majority kingdoms alternatively tolerating (however self-interestedly) and scapegoating their minority populations is well depicted. The Middle Ages, however violent and frankly nasty they were, were not so two-dimensional in nature as so often portrayed.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthwhile read if you wish to understand the period of history which includes the Crusades in the Mediterranean area and gain an understanding of the forces that made these events so much more complex than a simple clash of religions, but incredibly thick with detail and not always engrossing for the casual reader of history. If you are just interested in the bottom line, go to your local library and read the last two chapters!

[Alex Knipping · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek start in 1066 en dan niet met de beroemde slag bij Hastings, maar een paar maanden later in Granada, aan de vooravond van een aantal turbulente ontwikkelingen die Yusuf ibn Naghrilla, Joods vizier van een plaatselijke moslimvorst het hoofd zal kosten. Het boek eindigt met de feitelijke ondergang van het Byzantijnse rijk. Aan de hand van de levensverhalen van een aantal bekende en minder bekende historische figuren laat Brian Catlos zien dat de periode rondom de eerste twee kruistochten veel complexer was dan we doorgaans denken.
Dat beeld is uiteraard ook erg gekleurd door je eigen culturele achtergrond en de tijd waarin je bent opgegroeid. Ik kreeg, zeker in het basisonderwijs, maar toch ook wel daarna een tamelijk eendimensionaal beeld mee van vrome en wanhopige christenen die vanuit een religieus plichtsbesef op weg gingen om het Heilige Land te heroveren op ‘wrede’ moslims (destijds steevast ‘Saracenen’ genoemd). Catlos laat op overtuigende wijze zien dat moslims, joden en christenen in het gebied rond de Middellandse Zee voor een groot deel van de tijd redelijk vreedzaam naast en door elkaar leefden. Weliswaar zag men elkaars geloof als dwaalleer, maar doorgaans liet men elkaar redelijk met rust. De machthebbers bepaalden wel welke geloofsrichting de bovenklasse bezette, maar zij zorgden er doorgaans voor dat een aantal belangrijke posten konden toevallen aan personen van een ander geloof, om zo voor rust en stabiliteit te zorgen in hun machtsgebied. Grote rijken waren er niet en de verschillende vorsten waren vrijwel voortdurend onderling in strijd, wat leidde tot steeds wisselende allianties, ook tussen machthebbers en bevolkingsgroepen van een verschillend geloof. De reden om op kruistocht te gaan was waarschijnlijk voor de meeste edelen ook niet zozeer een vroom plichtsbesef of een gevolg van een groeiend gevoel van christelijke identiteit, maar veel meer opportunisme, een goede kans om roem, eer, rijkdom of macht te verwerven. Kwijting van zonden was ‘mooi meegenomen’. Het feit dat het koninkrijk Jerusalem nog zo lang heeft kunnen bestaan was veel meer het gevolg van verdeeldheid binnen de groepen van tegenstanders dan vanwege de dapperheid van de Tempeliers en de Hospitaalridders, zoals ik altijd geleerd had. Salah al-Din wist, doordat hij niet uit was op persoonlijk gewin, steeds meer islamstrijders onder zijn vaandel te krijgen en daarna was het pleit ook snel beslecht. De nazaten van de Frankische en Normandische adel wachtte een ontluisterend einde.
Wat wel lastig is aan dit boek, is de veelheid aan namen van personen, dynastieën en bevolkingsgroepen. De stambomen en verklarende lijst achterin het boek helpen daarbij wel, maar je blijft opzoeken. Dat heb ik op een bepaald moment maar opgegeven en dan is de verhaallijn vaak nog prima te volgen. Ik heb me daarbij vooral verbaasd over het gegeven dat het leven rondom de Middellandse Zee in die tijd enerzijds zo complex en hoogontwikkeld was, terwijl wreedheid en wraak tegelijkertijd zeer vanzelfsprekend was en waarschijnlijk zelfs als noodzaak werd gezien. Een vorst kon op die manier zijn macht en kracht demonstreren. Deed hij dat niet, dan was de kans groot dat zijn onderdanen hem als een baksteen lieten vallen. Daarin verschilden moslims niet van christenen en daarin begrepen ze elkaar ook goed. Geen fijne tijd, is dan toch mijn conclusie.

[Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First-rate. Though seemingly aimed at a general readership, I can see how this is going to give some folks fits. Catlos begins each section of his text with a vignette meant to draw interest. The passages following the vignette slowly accumulate the detail and context required to make sense of the initial picture—but it can take a while for the payoff to come and readers impatient with places and names and genealogies might sometimes lose the plot. It's worth hanging in there, however. Catlos's career-long revisionist project seems to be to complicate the academic pieties of convivencia. Yeah, Muslims, Christians and Jews sometimes got along in Spain prior to the reconquest, but for reasons more complicated than have historically been bruited (at least in the 20th century). Catlos extends his argument, however, to the broader Mediterranean region. His argument is that religious identity was less important, in some ways, than has historically been recognized. Instead, local, partisan, self-interested reasons of state governed actors from Al-Andalus to Sicily to Cairo. In each case, folks used or ignored confessional identities as it pleased them, in order to forward their political and economic agendas. To be sure, there are Almohads and Almoravids, Cluniac confessors and Inquisition types avant la lettre lurking in the woodwork, Catlos seems to claim. But true believers, in all faiths, were thinner on the ground than savvy operators who navigated among what today might be called various intersectional identities in pursuit of profit and power. The resulting tale is dead fascinating and far more rich than the latter-day inaccurate bromides about centuries-old wars of faith. Should be required reading for any Fox viewer who thinks monolithically about Islam (or Christianity, for that matter). Really informative, descriptive list at the end as well, for those who wish to follow Catlos into the library and read more about some of the well-told historical tales on offer here. Highly recommended.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Infidel Kings is an enlightening look at the reality on the ground, as it were, of the medieval Mediterranean. Far from being a clear cut battle of religions between Islam and Christianity, things were often complicated, with Jews, Christians, and Muslims all holding high ranking positions within kingdoms of all denominations.

Where I think Infidel Kings falls a little short is the story telling style of the book. It opens with the climax of a story in a sort of flash-forward sequence, then settles into telling the story from the beginning of each interesting, genre-defying character. However, all this does is provide a great summary of interesting characters up front, followed by a lot of detail that is repetitive and uninteresting.

Overall, though, I think it's probably the best book I've read about the medieval Med, simply because it highlights that for a long period of time before the Crusades, and even sometimes during the height of them, pragmatism and politics often outweighed religious zeal and fervor.

[Robert Enzenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellenty history. This author has written such readable history that one Amazon reviewer described it as excellent "historical fiction." And the solitary criticism by another Amazon reviewer that suggests this author has a "pro-Islam agenda" made me ponder if we read the same book. The names are indeed "hard to follow", but I didn't find them any harder to follow that some books I have read about Russian history. And I can't imagine a way a different historian could have kept the perons identified in a better way. This author has debunked the alleged "clash of civilizations" etiology to this religious conflict, and suggests a more Machievellian construct of power and money, whether describing Jews, Christians, or Islamists. I will certainly go back and read some of this author's other history of this area.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must confess that I read only the first two sections, on al-Andalus, before I had to return this. Catlos' take on politics and culture on the Iberian peninsula in the 11th century and onward is that life was not a clash of civilizations or religions, despite the Crusades. Rather, Muslims, Jews and Christians did live together with a certain amount of tolerance, based on social and economic pragmatism more than on religion. A Jew could be the chief administrator of a Muslim kingdom, or a warrior like El Cid could fight for Christians or Muslims, depending on the lay of the land. Fascinating but a bit overwhelming if you are new to all of this, since the very similar names (to those ignorant of Arabic) can seem the same if you're not paying attention. Moving on from here to his newest book.

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic overview of some of the more interesting characters involved in the Crusades/religious wars (the author makes a pretty good argument that they were less religiously motivated than typically believed though!) during the 11th-13th centuries. El Cid, Salah al-Din, and several other lesser-known individuals are looked at in depth. The author's main premise is that these warlords and warriors would have fought anyway over limited resources, family squabbles, and expansionist tendencies. I'm inclined to agree with him. It is a little dense in parts and some of the Arabic names are hard to follow, but that's not the author's fault. I'd recommend it to fans of the Crusader Kings game series or anyone who is looking to learn more about the personalities behind the Crusades, but it's not the easiest read and is clearly intended for a less casual audience.

[Johannes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being this my second book by Catlos, I began it with high hopes but I ended up feeling less interested than in "Kingdoms of Faith". Maybe it has a lot to do with Middle East politics, which even nowadays are too much for some people, and it is hard to understand the reasoning behind everyone hating everyone, and one people trying to erradicate another, and Muslims all hating other factions... anyway, the Iberian and Sicilian bits were interesting enough, but the history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was the most amazing part of it all, as for the rest, I had to skim through all the Islam history at parts, or I would have dropped it otherwise.

All in all, it is a 3.50, 3.75 at times but mostly OK.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absorbing and fast-paced book, which is quite something for a book that goes into detail about the complex relationships among Muslims, Christian and Jews from about the mid-11th century until the end of the 12th century. It is surprisingly easy to absorb all of the information provided in the book about the myriad of kingdoms, leaders and shifting alliances.

[cee · Rating 3 out of 5]

catlos walks the line pretty well between "happy smily convivencia" and "everyone was relentlessly beating on each other" although he focuses a little too much on individual nobles for my taste (so i am rounding up to 4)

[MpaulM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great starter book for those interested in the era preceding the crusades and the early crusades themselves. Makes me want to read more on the individuals written about.

[Becca Edney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is extremely dense with a lot of information, so it will probably require a few more reads and possibly taking notes.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of years ago I was in a class called Europe in the Middle Ages I, listening to the discussion taking place between my peers and the professor on the Abbasid Caliphate and the “Islamic Golden Age”. The subject had drifted in to Islamic history in general and all my peers and I agreed that this topic of Islamic history was often neglected in the popular discourses on history. This prompted one of my peers to ask, “Are there any good popular history books on Islamic history and society?” Had I been reading Brian Catlos’s Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors, I would have promptly handed it to him. Brian Catlos is a well-known and respected historian on the Medieval Mediterranean, who has written several books on religious interaction in Medieval Spain and has been featured in the documentary Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain. On top of this he is also a travel writer, with a couple of published works on traveling in various regions of Spain. Published in 2014 Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors: Faith, Power, and Violence in the Age of Crusade and Jihad, is his latest book and combines these two passions of his. Strong scholarly research and narrative meddles with poetic descriptions and flowing writing, making this book a gem of popular history.
Catlos divides the book into five parts each focusing on a different Mediterranean region along the religious frontier. Kingdoms and principalities in Iberia, Sicily, Egypt, and Palestine are looked at in various chapters in each of these parts. Catlos tries to use the life of a historical figure, such as the Cid in Valencia or Roger II in Norman Sicily to illustrate the dynamic relationship between religion, ethnicity, and power in these regions. At the end of this he has two short tidbits. The first, deals with the dynastic and commercial rivalries that led to the infamous Fourth Crusade and the sacking of Constantinople. It does not really add anything to the book other than give a shockingly brief account of events leading up to the sack of Constantinople. In fact, it feels more like a slap in the face to the most powerful and cosmopolitan empires in Medieval history, who constantly crop up in his chapters, but never really getting into any detail. The second, is an epilogue summarizing his argument that religion was not the only factor that went into holy war and indeed, it was really a minor one. Politics, ethnicity, and class all played a major role in this age of holy war as religion itself did.
This structure is generally a hit or a miss. I feel a lot of this has a lot deal with Catlos’s own research interests. His parts dealing with the Iberian Peninsula, his biographies of these characters and their times shine and give rich personality to the historical circumstances of their societies. These parts were the best parts of his book and you could tell he was very passionate about that topic. Once beyond this, however, the other chapters do not have the same zest. His discussion of the religiously ambiguous and multi-ethnic characters of Norman Kingdom of Sicily were lovely, but felt somewhat brief. The parts concerning Fatimid Egypt and Crusader Levant were muddled. His historical characters would appear and then disappear in the historical narrative while he attempted to set the historical scene. Part of this I believe comes from the lack of source material on the Fatimid Caliphate, another part comes from the fact these two regions are so close to each other and shared close diplomatic ties that it would have been more effective to write them together. Another issue I had was for the most part each of these regions (with the exception perhaps of Iberia) were portrayed as being insulated within themselves. influences from their neighbors be it the Byzantines, the Papacy, or the Seljuks were only mentioned in passing.
That said all these chapters contain great, easily accessible information on the medieval Mediterranean world. On top of this Catlos gives a brief literature review for each part of the book and gives an impressive bibliography. Both are fantastic for those who wish to go into deeper research on anything Catlos talks about.
As a book that introduces the Mediterranean in the Early to Middle Medieval era and is so packed with information, Infidel Kings is perfect for those that are new to the subject and those that are seeking an entertaining refresher will perhaps find something new. As a popular history book one can hope that it helps change the widespread perception that Medieval societies were homogenous in color, religion, and ethnicity, to a more factual view of them being diverse societies.

[James (JD) Dittes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catlos brigs light to very dark ages of history in this novel, and through them he offers some fascinating insights that apply to our times.

Catlos uses a very basic structure for each of his sections: he begins with the overthrow of a Christian, Jewish, or Muslim official in a kingdom in which they were not of the same faith as the ruler, then he carefully walks back and shows how the sifting political sands led first to this person's empowerment, then to their comeuppance. What we see throughout is multi-religious, multi-ethnic kingdoms in Spain, Sicily, Egypt and ultimately Palestine, and the way that rulers played groups off against each other rather than resorting to the more modern, barbaric practices of "ethnic cleansing."

A ruler needed someone he could trust to run the treasury, the harem, or the army. And there was such treachery and infighting among the ruling families, that it often made sense to look outside the clique to find trusted assistants. This is where ambitious Christians, Jews, and Muslims tried to place themselves. If they could prove their loyalty was to the caliph/king alone, they could make themselves rich and serve their own minority communities.

One thing that Catlos points out again and again is exactly how divided the religions were. There are Latin Christians (what we would see today as Roman Catholics), but they weren't natural allies of Armenians, Copts, or Byzantines, even though all groups professed faith in Jesus Christ, they were quickly turned into enemies. The Muslims, divided between Shia, Sunni, Khajarite and Nasiri (Assassins) were also easily turned against each other. It was the search for balance that led these kingdoms to elevate religious minorities and put them in key positions.

There are many applications to today's Middle East where foreign intervention and misplaced democracy have replaced the careful balance of political interests that were so evolved in the 11th & 12th centuries. The nation of Israel could easily empower Palestinian Christians and Muslims to reach long-term stability, but it relies instead on oppression. Iraq's despot was overthrown, but Nuri al-Maliki's ill-conceived Sufi-first governance sent Sunnis welcoming ISIS with open arms and the Kurds and Yazhidis using the group as a catalyst for further autonomy.

Catlos saves the story of the 1st-3rd crusades for the end, and what a history it is. The Franks of the First Crusade quickly turn to alliances with local Sunni and Seljuk lords to bring stability, but it is boneheaded politics viz a viz Nur-al-Din and outright stupidity by Reynaud Chatillon that open the way for Sal-al-Din's reconquest of the Holy Land (Saladdin also exploited similar religious missteps in Egypt prior to that.)

A fascinating, relevant book.

[Chris Buckham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors
Author: Brian A. Catlos
ISBN: 978-0-8090-5837-2
Publisher: Raincoast Books
Year: 2014
Hardcover
Pages: 390
Photographs/maps: 23/6

Perception is one of the key driving factors in the formation of popular opinion. It need not be based in fact because perception forms ones reality; it has been shown time and again that even when faced with facts that are contrary to ones opinion, it is very difficult to change initial perception. That does not mean however, that it is impossible to realign ones view and this is the basis of the importance of Catlos' book on the historical interactions between Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Catlos' thesis centres upon the fact that historically the three major religions have been able to not only co-exist but have actively supported one another politically, economically as well as militarily. When there has been violence allegedly aimed at one particular group it is easily proven that while on the surface it may seem to be based in religious intolerance, there has always been a political or power motivation behind the action. Catlos' book refutes the idea that religious differences have precluded cooperation and coexistence.

Drawing upon a series of regional examples focussing upon Spain, Egypt, Sicily and the Levant he proves conclusively that religion adapted to the political and economic realities of the time and that it was but one of a series of tools that individuals used to attain their goals. It was not however, an end in and of itself. In fact he specifically refutes the concept that the Islamic conquest was one of imposed religious expansion wherein the conquered had to accept the tenants of Islam.

He opens his book with a comprehensive overview of the relationship between the religions before drawing upon actual examples throughout the region's identified in order to prove his case. What the author provides is an in depth analysis of the complexity and the tolerance that existed between the major religions (and the sub-sects of these groups). Each was dependent upon the other and a political leaders success very much depended upon their ability to promote and facilitate this tolerance.

A well written and comprehensively researched work that sheds light on the shallowness of modern perceptions regarding interfaith relationships. Catlos's work should be included as a baseline introduction into the complexity of traditional societal and religious interaction and it goes a long way in refuting the message that has been hijacked by those looking to advance their own agendas using faith as a wedge.

www.themilitaryreviewer.blogspot.com

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and detailed. As a layperson, I appreciate the care and attention to detail the author exhibited. I also appreciate the alternative explanation of the causes of the Crusades versus the popular understanding of religion being the cause. I find the case presented in this book far more plausible and unfortunately similar to today's motivations.

It ends on a hopeful (and timely with today's polarized views) note:

"This most violent of eras, if we look close enough, turns out to give us reason for hope. It shows, perhaps, that conflict among different peoples is not inevitable, as long as we are willing to make compromises as individuals and communities, and to regard one another as fundamentally well-intentioned, and as sharing the same basic goals."

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book covering the Middle Ages and the interactions between Christian, Jewish, and Muslim peoples. It reads a bit like the Game of Thrones, with power grabs, assassinations, war, and violence, sometimes in the name of religion, especially in support of the power grabs. What was interesting is how much the followers of these three major religions coexisted and, in fact, were important in the day-to-day existence, of the areas they lived in. While there were far too many names to keep track of in this book, what was clear back then was that religion was often used to accommodate the personal goals of those in charge, versus the overwhelming driver of their actions. Not much different between now than then.....

[Dustin Krentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was unaware how tied together these 3 religions were and are. I learned a lot about the relationships between the communities, the fact they coexisted, and even became important leaders in each other's military. Coincidentally while reading this the oldest known Quran was found and it caused quite a stir. I was absolutely fascinated by the "assassins" and have been studying them ever since.

[Kme_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a first read. I learn a whole from this book. It was done in a entertaining way that made me keep reading. I love the amount of detail that is in this book. You can tell the research that went into this writing. A very well done book.

[Jim Dertien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complex, due to the maze of ruler names, but worthwhile in gaining a different understanding of the undercurrents of conflict during the time.