About this episode

Nicholas Morton discusses the Crusades and their context within the larger transformation of the medieval Middle East.

In this Conflicted Conversation, Nicholas Morton discusses his new book The Crusader Storm: A Global History of the Wars for the Middle East. Associate Professor in History at Nottingham Trent University, Nicholas reframes the Crusades as one part of a much larger transformation of the medieval Middle East, driven above all by Seljuk-Turkmen expansion, Byzantine contraction, Fatimid decline and the fragmentation of political power. Nicholas explains: The Seljuk-Turkmen transformation of the medieval Middle East Why the Crusades were not the region’s main event Dandanqan, nomadic warfare and the rise of Seljuk power Abbasids, Fatimids and fragmented government before the First Crusade Manzikert, Byzantine civil war and the Turkish conquest of Anatolia Frankish-Turkish rivalry, alliances and shared warrior culture Crusader violence and Christianity’s uneasy relationship with holy war Nizari Ismailis, Seljuk civil wars and competing Muslim priorities Damascus and Byzantium as key powers in Crusader geopolitics The Middle East as a crossroads of trade, ideas and cultural exchange Follow Nicholas on X: https://x.com/NicholasMorto11 On Bluesky: @nicmorton.bsky.social On Instagram…

People in this episode

Guest: Nicholas Morton

Topics covered

• Crusades
• medieval Middle East
• Seljuk-Turkmen expansion
• Byzantine contraction
• political fragmentation
• Crusader geopolitics
• cultural exchange

Keywords

• Crusades
• Seljuk-Turkmen
• Byzantine
• Fatimid
• political power
• nomadic warfare
• Crusader violence
• cultural exchange

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nottingham Trent University

Books & works: The Crusader Storm: A Global History of the Wars for the Middle East

Places: Middle East, Anatolia, Damascus, Byzantium

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