Usama ibn Munqidh, the Book of Contemplation

When considering the relations between the Crusader States and the neighboring lands of Syria and Egypt in the twelfth century, no source is as valuable as the the Book of Contemplation written by the Syrian aristocrat and courtier Usama ibn Munqidh. Born in the same year that the First Crusade was preached at the Council of Clermont, Usama was of the generation of Levantine Muslims who grew up as neighbors or subjects of the Franks. In 1174, at nearly 80 years of age, Usama wrote a work of adab, the Book of Contemplation for the new master of Damascus, Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin) which reflects back on a life lived beside and occasionally inside the Latin East. Join Cody Benke for an explanation of the value of Usama's work for understanding the Franks in the East.