About this episode

Dr. Thomas Smith discusses the Egyptian Crusade and his new book on the subject.

From 1217 to 1221 CE, Egypt faced an invasion in the Delta. A bizarre tale of D-Day-esque beach landings, improvised nun-chucks, and the vengeance of Hapi ensued. Today's guest Dr. Thomas Smith explains the story and introduces his new book The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt. The Fifth Crusade (2026) available from Yale University Press and all good retailers. Dr. Thomas Smith's website: https://thomaswsmith.co.uk/ Music by Luke Chaos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Dominic Perry

Guest: Dr. Thomas Smith

Topics covered

• Egyptian history
• Crusades
• military campaigns
• cultural impact
• historical narratives

Keywords

• Egypt
• Crusades
• Dr. Thomas Smith
• The Fifth Crusade
• history
• military invasion
• 1217 to 1221 CE

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yale University Press

Books & works: The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt

Places: Egypt

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• 241: Annihilation of the Wicked · August 24, 2026 · 31 min
• 240: Merneptah vs the Sea Peoples (and Odysseus, and the Hittites) · August 18, 2026 · 38 min
• 239: A Pyramid of Corpses · August 3, 2026 · 47 min
• 238: Merneptah Seizes Canaan (feat. A Tribe Called Israel) · July 27, 2026 · 35 min

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