Dr Thomas Smith FRHistS FRAS - author and historian of the Middle Ages
Dr Thomas Smith is an author and public historian whose work brings the drama and complexities of the Middle Ages vividly to life. His writing centres on character-driven, pacy narrative. Blending action with the wider context, it aims to give readers a tangible sense of momentum and place.
An elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society, Thomas received his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2013.
A leading specialist on the crusades, Thomas is the author of The Egyptian Crusade: Holy War on the Nile (forthcoming Yale 2026), Rewriting the First Crusade (2024), Curia and Crusade (2017) and, with Dr Susan Edgington, The Deeds of the Franks who Conquered Jerusalem, an edition and translation published by Oxford University Press.
In 2018, Curia and Crusade received a Highly Commended award in the British Records Association’s Janette Harley Prize.
Thomas has edited seven other academic books and written more than 40 articles and book chapters, including for the Cambridge History of the Crusades and The New Cambridge History of Britain.
Beyond the page, Thomas has served as a historical consultant on the TV series Vikings and made media appearances on podcasts including Gone Medieval (History Hit Network) and for Medievalists.net.
Thomas is an experienced public speaker and has delivered talks on medieval history across Britain, Ireland, the United States, Australia, Japan, Germany, Austria, France, and Israel.
All his books can be found on his Amazon Author page. Follow Thomas on Instagram, Facebook, and Academia.
He is represented by The Andrew Lownie Literary Agency: https://www.andrewlownie.co.uk
Thomas' new book, The Egyptian Crusade: Holy War on the Nile, is forthcoming with Yale and will appear in autumn 2026.
The story of the Egyptian crusade has the power to surprise and shock in equal measure. Along with a vivid sense of place of crusaders in the land of the pyramids, readers will gain a new understanding of the crusades, the nature of holy war in the Middle Ages, and the lives of the people who were at its centre.
Advance praise:
'Fabulous [...] energetic, colourful and absorbing. A combination of striking characters, bigger-picture context and exciting action scenes will deliver a splendid book [...] The writing style gives a real sense of momentum, drawing the reader along to great effect' – peer reviewer 1
'Exciting, well told and filled with interesting contextual details and points of interest. His written approach helps readers to visualise the environment in which events are taking place [...] an exciting work of popular history that many readers will find appealing' – peer reviewer 2
Thomas' second academic-facing book is Rewriting the First Crusade: Epistolary Culture in the Middle Ages (Boydell Press, 2024) – an exploration of the letters from the First Crusade, yielding evidence for a number of reinterpretations of the movement.
Praise:
Ranked no. 1 among the Best Medieval Books of 2024 by Medievalists.net
‘A book of major importance that promises to advance the subject in exciting new ways. A contribution of great significance, and essential reading for all scholars and students’ – peer reviewer 1
‘An extremely rich and thought-provoking study of the epistolary culture of the early crusading movement. It represents a major contribution to the historiography of the First Crusade' – peer reviewer 2
‘An excellent testament to the indispensable role of the auxiliary historical sciences, especially palaeography and diplomatics, in the study of history’ – Francia recensio
Thomas' first academic-facing book is Curia and Crusade: Pope Honorius III and the Recovery of the Holy Land, 1216–1227 (Brepols, 2017), which develops a revisionist interpretation of how the papacy marshalled the crusading movement.
Award:
Highly Commended – British Records Association Janette Harley Prize 2018
Praise:
‘Insightful, highly detailed and much needed – [a] splendid work’ – Reviews in History
'Shines through its originality', 'great analytical finesse', 'great meticulousness' – Le Moyen Age
‘Energetically opens new avenues for research’ – Al-Masāq
‘A valuable addition to the literature’ – Church History