Biography Of Simon Christopher Riley Smith - 857 Words

Johnathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith BA, MA, PhD, LittD has been described as Britain’s best crusader historian . Born in England on June 27, 1938 he was educated at Eton College in Windsor and Trinity College Cambridge. He has acquired four degrees over his lifetime: Bachelor of Arts in 1964, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in 1964 and his Doctor of Literature in 2001. From 1964 – 1965, Professor Riley-Smith taught in the department of Medieval History at St. Andrew’s College Cambridge as an Assistant Lecturer. He became a Full-time Lecturer in 1966 and worked there until 1972. From then until 1972 until 1978, Riley-Smith served on the History Faculty at the University of Cambridge and also during that time he was a Fellow†¦show more content†¦He said â€Å"I, however, believe, first of all, as a Catholic that there are absolutes but they elude us; and the fact they elude us is part of our fallen condition.† He is also a ‘Nietzschean’ meaning that he is a supporter of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. In terms of the Crusades, Riley-Smith states in the Preface of his book What Were the Crusades? Third Edition that he is a pluralist. Using the definition of thought identified by Professor Giles Constable, Riley-Smith he says: â€Å"....the pluralists, who maintain that an array of campaigns, preached as crusades and fought by men and women who had taken crusade vows and enjoyed crusade privileges, were as authentic as those to or in aid of Jerusalem, although many of them took place in other theatres of war.† Professor Riley-Smith has written, co-authored and edited many books throughout his life including: ï‚ ¾ The Knights of St John in Jerusalem and Cyprus, c.1050-1310. 1967 ï‚ ¾ Ayyubids, Mamlukes and Crusaders. 2 vols. Heffer, 1971 ï‚ ¾ The Feudal Nobility and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1174-1277. 1973 ï‚ ¾ What Were the Crusades? 1977 (2nd edition, 1992, 3rd edition, 2002) ï‚ ¾ The Crusades: Idea and Reality, 1095-1274. (With Louise Riley-Smith) 1981 ï‚ ¾ The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading. 1986 ï‚ ¾ The Crusades: A Short History. 1987 (2nd edition,