Thomas Asbridge is an internationally renowned expert on the history of the Middle Ages and author of the critically acclaimed books The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land and The First Crusade: A New History. He studied for a BA in Ancient and Medieval History at Cardiff University, and then gained his PhD in Medieval History at Royal Holloway, University of London. His is now Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary, University of London and director of the groundbreaking MA in Islam & the West. Thomas has written and presented a landmark three-part documentary series The Crusades for BBC Two, filmed on location across the Near East and Europe. He also developed and presented the documentary ‘The Crusader’s Lost Fort’ for BBC2′s Timewatch strand and has appeared in many other internationally broadcast television documentaries and radio programmes. He has worked as a historical consultant for HBO and Company Pictures.