When we often think about history we see the events and people through a romantic lens. We polish out the gore of wars and focus on the sparkling mail of the noble knight and imagine that battles are as pure and tame as the Olympic Games. If there was blood, it was a mere sprinkle and those who fell beneath the blade collapsed ominously with a halo. The image of corpses dismembered and a river of blood is not something we want to think about. We want the sparkle, the opulence and the pomp. When reality surfaces we avert our eyes and deny that such horror could have ever been. There is nothing wrong with romanticizing history and depicting the Arthurs and Beowulfs of old in a radiant light. However, It is important to remember that the engagements between armies on the fields of Sterling , Hattin, and Malta weren't beautiful. The reality of what a knight experienced is not something most would be willing to publish. We are dazzled by his mail, his curly hair and his chivalrous...