The Oxford Dictionary defines chivalry as “the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, especially courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and readiness to help the weak.” Chivalry, as noted in the definition, was best expressed by knights, and they rarely expressed this virtue better than during times of conflict. Although this virtue was a chief cornerstone of the knights’ social code, it seems to have been a virtue adopted by other groups, and none more clearly than the knights’ archnemeses—the warriors of Islam.
In Simon Mayall’s latest book, “The House of War: The Struggle Between Christendom and the Caliphate,” we are presented with the age of chivalry in all its courageous and bloody glory. The author discusses the beginnings of both Christianity and Islam, and how each, through internal power struggles and religious schisms, found ways to war among themselves.
There is the long-standing conflict between Catholic and Orthodox, the battles between Christian king and Christian king (most prominently displayed during the Hundred Years’ War), and the struggle between rulers and the Holy Roman Empire.
Detailed Brevity
For a book concerning the world’s two greatest religions, it is Mayall who performs the real miracle. He’s tackled a multi-volume project and produced a single book that is, considering the information within, relatively short.In a sense, the book is broken into three parts. There is the initial aforementioned brief, with important details about the religions’ beginnings and the creation of what became known as Christendom and the Caliphate. The third and final part is the end of this religious struggle, at least in its historic sense, that takes place during the 19th and early 20th century and culminates with the conclusion of World War I. The second, or, fittingly, middle part of the book, is the era of religious wars during the Middle Ages, an era typically assigned a millennium between A.D. 500 and A.D. 1500.
Mayall performs his literary miracle by maintaining his focus on the book’s premise and never losing sight of it. All of the internal religious strife for both religions remains on the periphery, mentioned only briefly throughout, while the chapters focus on the impending battles and sieges that took place between the Christians and the Muslims.
“The House of War” captures the planning, the pursuits, the defensive measures, the calls for surrender, the refusals to surrender, the brutality of the battles and sieges, and the aftermath of victories and defeats. Among these historic moments are the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099, the Battle of Hattin in 1187, the Siege of Acre in 1291, the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Siege of Rhodes in 1522, the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, and the Battle of Vienna in 1683. These moments held sway over history’s pendulum swing, and, as Mayall demonstrates so well, those who fought seemed fully aware of the stakes.
Barbarity and Honor
The crux of the book—those sieges and battles—begins with the First Crusade’s Siege of Jerusalem. By this time, the Muslims long had controlled the city. When the Crusaders regained the city in the name of Christianity, it was less the taking of the city and more the aftermath that sparked ongoing military conflicts, and mutual animosity.The Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, rampaged and ravaged the city’s defenders and citizens alike. Less than a century later, the Muslims, led by Saladin, would take their revenge in the battle of Hattin. Mayall notes Saladin as “one of those rare and dominant figures in history,” and he is hardly the only one of that type discussed.
Saladin’s immediate enemy, King Guy of Lusignan, had fought courageously during battle, earning Saladin’s respect and leading the Islamic leader to spare his life and those of nobility. The knights, however, would not be spared.
There was mutual honor and respect between these combatants that is clearly evident throughout the book. Yes, there is the expected barbarity of war, and, specifically, the barbarity of this era. For example, during a siege, the Muslims captured a Christian, led him relatively near the walls of the fortress and cut off his head so the defenders could see. The intimidation tactic fell flat, as the Christian defenders decapitated all of their Muslim prisoners, shoved their heads into cannons and fired them into the Muslim camp.
But it is the mutual respect and admiration that these combatants express that shines brightest in the book. During sieges and battles, warriors were identified for their courage in battle. This is exemplified after the Siege of Rhodes when the Muslims, led by Suleiman the Magnificent, had broken through and defeated the fortress’s defenders. Suleiman, as Mayall highlights, could hardly disguise his admiration, confessing to Philippe Villers de L’Isle-Adam, leader of the Order of St. John, “I have won. Despite that, I cannot help but feel heartfelt sadness that you and your followers, who are so courageous and upright, are being forced from your homes.”
History and Inspiration
Readers will discover some of the most important moments in history, but additionally, they will find inspiration. I found myself moved by the chivalric virtue of these great warriors—defender and attacker alike, Christian and Muslim alike. For all its blood and destruction, “The House of War” is a work of history that is, indeed, counterintuitively beautiful.Upon completing this book, I found myself wondering about this bygone era called the Middle Ages, and further wondering, if not worrying, that society had lost not just that era, but the chivalric virtues that were part of it.
“The House of War” is not simply one of the more fascinating and enjoyable works you will read this year, but it will be one that will hopefully cause you to stop and consider all that has been gained and lost through the human sacrifice of war. Perhaps it will inspire you, as it did me, to consider instituting the virtue of chivalry into everyday life—knighthood, thankfully, not required.
