By 1095 Muslims and Christians had been waging war against one another for centuries; no matter how far it was in the past, Islam undoubtedly had seized Christian territory, including Jerusalem; and Christians living in and visiting the Holy Land may have been subjected to persecution.
Christians nations have been subjected to Muslim invasion and attacks in the past half century before the crusades.
I wonder whether Asbridge will mention the letter from Constantinople asking the European Kings for help with the Muslim invasion? If not, the credibility of this book will take a hit. That for without the Crusades, Muslims would have invaded much of Eastern Europe.
FYI -Constantinople asked for help from Pope Urban II. Alexius I, the Byzantine Emperor, sent a letter to Pope Urban II requesting armed forces to help drive out the Turks from Eastern Rome. This communication caught Pope Urban II's attention and is believed to have influenced his decision to call for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont in 1095.
