00:00 The guest, Roger Crowley, discusses his newest book "The Accursed Tower" which focuses on the Siege of Acre in 1291, the last stand of the crusader states in the Holy Land, and explains why Acre was such a valuable foothold for the crusaders due to its strategic location as a Mediterranean port and its fertile land for agriculture.

05:19 Acre was well defended and feared by the Mamluks because it was the landing place for armies from the West, and there was a concern that attacking Acre would lead to a new crusade; however, beneath the surface of war, Acre and the king of Jerusalem were part of an integrated trading network between Islam and the Christian world, making it economically valuable to its neighbors and allowing for cultural and economic exchange.

10:13 The longer the Christian crusaders lived in Palestine, the more they integrated with the Islamic world, forming alliances and engaging in politics, and their actions were often more about land control and economic interests rather than a grand religious clash.

15:21 The decline of the crusades in the 13th century was due to a lack of prominent leaders, the development of nation-states and competition between them, the decline of the papacy's prestige, and the dwindling resources available for large-scale crusades, resulting in smaller, less impactful efforts.

20:21 The instability of European monarchies and the need to protect their thrones prevented many Christian leaders from mounting sustained crusading efforts, with the exception of St. Louis of France who had the strongest position and state structures to leave behind.

25:34 The Mamluks, who were originally enslaved warriors from the north of the Black Sea, were highly skilled and trained professional soldiers who eventually became the masters through a palace revolution, and their expertise in open field warfare and siege skills allowed them to bring down the remaining Crusader states.

30:57 The Mamluks had a deep knowledge of warfare and siege tactics, drawing on technology transfer from China via the Mongols, and their expertise in managing catapults and logistics reached its peak during the siege of Acre in 1291, which was a result of their systematic and institutional approach to warfare.

36:31 The presence of the Mongols in the Middle East during the 13th century prolonged the existence of Acre as a Christian stronghold, as the Mongols posed a bigger threat to the Mamluks and diverted their attention away from the Christians, leading to a complex political landscape and the possibility of alliances between the Christians and the Mongols.

42:13 The historian discusses his fascination with the story of catapult warfare and the importance of shaping a narrative around significant moments in history, eyewitness accounts, and fascinating characters, while also emphasizing the need for careful filtering and translation of source material.

47:24 The process of writing a book involves being your own severest critic, filtering out unnecessary details, and seeking outside feedback to ensure the best possible result.

52:02 The historian is considering his next project, which may involve the Reconquista in Spain, the Ottomans, or the Portuguese in China and Japan, but he is also mindful of the market and what people will want to read about.