I just picked up copies of the reprinted Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf (Schocken Bks., NY, 1989) and H.R. Loyn's Anglo Saxon England and the Norman Conquest. 2nd Edition (Longman Inc., 1991). Both books are in paperback, $16.95 and 27.95 respectively. Loyn's excellant work has only been available from college library since its initial release in 1962. He has reworked the text, made use of recent scholarship, archaeological evidence, etc. As the cap sums it up, "...the main themes of the book remain constant; depict the steady development from tribal institutions towards the creation of a territorial kingdom,", including social, economic political factors. An excellant addition to any historians library.

Maalouf's book is also a great find. Saladin's campaigns are especially aptly covered... from the Arab viewpoint. "The Arab version of the Crusades is a heroic story of how the Muslims overcame their rivalries and united long enough to win a holy war." I wish I had this book when researching for my thesis, but I've got it now.