Some comments on Fr. Dariusz Wiśniewski’s book "Europa i islam w średniowieczu. Konfrontacja i współżycie"

Streszcz. ang. Bibliogr.

Fr. Dariusz Wiśniewski has prepared a book on the confrontation bewteen and coexistence of Latin Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages. As we can read in the introduction, the book is addressed not only to scholars but to a wide spectrum of non-professional readers as well. In fact, the author managed to present some aspects of the very complicated and still actual problem of cross-religion relations in a way that can meet the expectations of more demanding readers. He pointed out and explained some of the most important consequences of the development and expansion of Latin and Muslim societies in the Mediterranean region before the fall of Acre in 1291. One may criticize the author’s decision on the choice of theterminus ad quem. The collapse of the Crusader states in Outremer is not the most important turning point in the history of the relations between the Latin Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages. Thus, we can treat Fr. Dariusz Wiśniewski’s book as an interesting and inspiring, but definitely not final, voice in the important and still open discussion on this intriguing problem of medieval history.