This episode of history first intrigued me when I was working on my MA; I was surprised to find that no recent study had been devoted to such a dynamic and frequently mentioned series of events. Now, well over a decade later, I have decided to take this challenge upon myself. In so doing, I am grateful for the constant support and advice offered by long-time colleague Heather Crowley and some very helpful words of wisdom furnished by Steve Tibble concerning the manuscript. Invaluable feedback was also provided by Niall Christie, whose support as my department head at Langara College I am doubly grateful for, and Peter Edbury, whose generosity I have benefitted from ever since my days in Cardiff. Some quite valuable final suggestions were provided by Nic Morton and John France, both of whom have also assisted me in different ways over the years. Further thanks are due to my family, to whom I owe so much for their support.
To make this study accessible to a wide audience, references have been kept to a minimum and an effort has been made to identify English translations of primary sources wherever possible, while notes also include editions of the original Latin for those who are interested. Names of historical figures have been anglicised in most instances, while Byzantine names have been transliterated using their Greek forms, rather than the Latin. Most Arabic names have been truncated to an easily recognizable form, and diacritical marks have not been used in order to make the text more approachable. The regional maps have been produced using QGIS. My aim throughout has been to produce a meaningful contribution to the study of this period, but in a manner that will encourage younger students and scholars; in essence, I have tried to write the book that I had hoped was available so many years ago.
M. S. Fulton
Christmas 2021