How to Defeat the Saracens by William of Adam (review)

Historians of the crusades have often argued about the significance of the fall of Acre in 1291, but there seems little doubt that for many contemporaries it was an event of profound importance. Some turned their minds to the problem of how this disaster could be reversed and there developed a whole genre of “recovery literature” of varying quality and practicality. William of Adam’s treatise was relatively late on the scene, but this did give the author the advantage of a longer perspective. William was a Dominican, born around 1275, who traveled extensively in the Middle East between 1307 and 1316/17. He composed his treatise around the end of that time. He was therefore no armchair critic, for he could speak with direct experience of the environment within which any actions would have to take place, and indeed he seems to have been driven by a strong belief that it was his duty to convey what he had learned to those who were in a position to influence the situation.

He knew that, ultimately, the Holy Land could only be recovered by a large-scale passagium, but, although there had been much talk and some showy taking of vows, there was little immediate sign that this was about to be transformed into a major crusade. William therefore concentrates upon demonstrating how such an expedition could succeed if the ground were properly prepared. In essence, he advised putting a huge squeeze on Egypt by stifling its trade and cutting off any help it might receive from Mongols, Greeks, or Latins. His most original idea, which forms an appropriate culmination of his book, was to blockade the southern end of the Red Sea and thus destroy the vital trade link with India, without which Alexandria would not flourish. India was truly “the source of all the evils” that he had described in the earlier part of the book. He himself knew the region well, having spent twenty months in the Red Sea area. According to William, the blockade could be achieved with a force of only three or four galleys. He describes in detail how this would work, where the best places for bases could be found, and how the galleys could be repaired and maintained. He was confident that the Christians would receive the support of the Mongol ruler of Persia that would enable them to make use of islands in the gulf of Hormuz. It is difficult to assess whether this plan could ever have been activated; the only previous attempt to penetrate this region had been by forces sent by Reynald of Châtillon in 1183, and this had been a total failure, even though at that time the Christians still controlled Jerusalem.

William’s book must have been a great disappointment to him, for it did not catch the imagination of contemporaries, but it is of immense interest to modern historians, in that it offers insights into the post-1291 situation that contribute to our understanding of the myriad problems facing any attempt to dislodge the Mamluks from Jerusalem. This is a fine edition and translation by Giles Constable, the first to make use of all three known manuscripts, as well as cutting through the unusually complicated editing history that beset the work in the late-nineteenth century. Constable provides a concise and authoritative introduction and full notes, particularly necessary given the relative unfamiliarity of the regions in which William traveled.