The Crusades Through Arab Eyes (Les Croisades vues par les Arabes), Kutub’s introductory book, was discussed in March of 2006.
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes is a fusion of historical fact, mythology, and philosophy results in a compelling account of a region and culture impacted by the west, and which still resonates years after it was first published in 1989 (written first in French by the Lebanese Maalouf). Though at times dense with information, it is a very compelling read for someone interested in the Arab interpretation of the Crusades and for a general questioning of mutual perceptions of the east versus west.
Maalouf was born in Beirut in 1949, the son of a journalist father and a Maronite Christian mother. He later followed his father’s footsteps, writing for an-Nahar daily newspaper as a war correspondent. In 1977 the civil war drove Maalouf and his family to Paris, where he continues to write. His prolific bibliograph includes the acclaimed Leo the African (1986) and the libretto Adriana Mater (2004), which premered in 2006 in Paris as a fully-fledged opera.
A biography of Amin Maalouf’s life can be found: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/maalouf.htm
Maalouf Talks about his latest book “Origins” follow this link: http://leb.net/~aljadid/interviews/AminMaaloufTalksabouthislatestbookOrigins.html
For an excerpt from Maalouf’s “Les identité meurtriè [Deadly Identities]” follow this link or see below: http://leb.net/~aljadid/essays/DeadlyIdentities.html
Kutub 