David CampbellTemplar Knight vs Mamluk Warrior: 1218–50 (Combat, 16)

After a European cruise I was "bitten" by the Crusader "bug" and realized how little I really knew about the Crusades. For example, I had no idea of the Teutonic Knights' issues against pagans to the northeast, east, and southeast of the German "heartland." Furthermore, I had little understanding of the various and numerous religious military orders.

great book

The subject of this Osprey Combat Series book is the match-up of Templar Knights against their Mamluk Warrior adversaries in the so-called Latin East of 1218-50, perhaps better familiar as the Holy Land of the Crusades. The Templars were indeed a formidable military force, even when matched against their most dangerous opponents, the Mamluks. Both were warrior classes, professional in a modern sense, and deadly in combat. The Templars, at least, suffered from consistently poor political leadership...Author David Campbell spends the first third of the book introducing the respective opponents and their organization, training, and leadership. The heart of the narrative is the description of three combats, Damietta in 1218-21, La Forbie in 1244, and Al-Mansurah in 1249-50. The concluding analysis provides context for the three combats, including the failure of the Franks to provide strategic leadership to match the battlefield prowess of the Templar warriors. The text is nicely supported by period and modern illustrations, photographs, maps, and campaign diagrams. Recommended as an introduction to the topic.

Great HIstory book!!

As anticipated

Great book that explains both sides' warriors in the conflict in typical Osprey fashion.

interesante

A better title would probably have been “Events from the Later Crusades.” Templar Knight vs. Mamluk Warrior is a very good book. It includes lots of information about the lesser-known period between 1218-1250. The combat section is not really about Templars and Mamluks, however. It’s merely covers (rather nicely) some battles were the Templars and Mamluks were present. There is essentially no discussion about the two warrior classes actually confronting each other. There is also relatively little information about the warrior's specific roles in battles. About the best we get are statements like the Templars led the charge. I really enjoyed the book, but readers should understand that it is about the period and not about the specific warrior types.What’s included: Descriptions of Templars and Mamluks (20 pages long, almost all of the quotes about the Templars cab be found in Nicolson’s Osprey Warrior book about the Templars), the battle of Damietta (13 pages), the battle of La Forbie (14 pages, including a 2-page illustration), the battle of al-Mansurah (16 pages, including a 2-page illustration), an Analysis section (6 pages).