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This is literally the history of Venice

Naguib Mahfouz is a Nobel laureate and Engyptian writer. His works have tackled themes such as spiritual emptiness, socialism, and God. He's probably most famous for his Cairo Trilogy which is about three generations of Egyptians from World War I until the 1952 coupe. Here's the trilogy's description from Amazon:

> The novels of The Cairo Trilogy trace three generations of the family of tyrannical patriarch Al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad, who rules his household with a strict hand while living a secret life of self-indulgence. Palace Walk introduces us to his gentle, oppressed wife, Amina, his cloistered daughters, Aisha and Khadija, and his three sons–the tragic and idealistic Fahmy, the dissolute hedonist Yasin, and the soul-searching intellectual Kamal. Al-Sayyid Ahmad’s rebellious children struggle to move beyond his domination in Palace of Desire, as the world around them opens to the currents of modernity and political and domestic turmoil brought by the 1920s. Sugar Street brings Mahfouz’s vivid tapestry of an evolving Egypt to a dramatic climax as the aging patriarch sees one grandson become a Communist, one a Muslim fundamentalist, and one the lover of a powerful politician.

that is actually a made up story, this books is a good read about New England foods and the truth behinds the wacky stories: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-about-Baked-Beans-Washington/dp/1479882763

Thank You for this picture.

I am currently reading a history of Venice, and the author mentioned Calicut in the current chapter I'm reading!

A great book on this (IMO) is God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades by Rodney Stark. Picked it up years ago and it was a very enlightening read:

https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Battalions-Crusades-Rodney-Stark/dp/0061582603

I think like the parable of the weeds and wheat it is nearly impossible in many cases to distinguish real faith apart from false faith. That said, sometimes it is beyond obvious when someone does not actually possess faith.

Regarding the crusades, I do believe that true Christians were involved, at least early on during the first few. I recommend this book on the topic. I for one am glad that Europe did not fall to the Muslims back then and it was the bravery of Christian men who stopped the advance. Was it always so clear? No. War is a mess and the motives are many. Atrocities were committed on both sides. That said, I wish the common Christian man had that much courage these days rather than roll over and let the SJWs walk all over them.

Yep, it was a response to the constant islamic invasion of everywhere it touches. A good book on them here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Battalions-Crusades-Rodney-Stark/dp/0061582603/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495513090&sr=8-1&keywords=the+case+for+the+crusades

Get yourself a phrasebook that has a little bit of everything you need. Something like the Lonely Planet book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1741040590/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=2831577403&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1J0KQR1GJT5AQF14EF12 will be good. If you expend just a little bit of effort to communicate in the local language, people will be much more receptive. I hardly speak a lick of French, but when I tried to speak French in Paris, the locals appreciated the effort and were more friendly after (and spoke to me in English).

How about Najeeb Mahfood's works? He's the only Arab Nobel winner in literature. I read a few of his works, and I have heard that the Cairo Trilogy is particularly good.

I believe he would be a better choice in the presentation of settings over most of the authors mentioned in this thread.

Judging by the books on your shelf you might want to try out Mahfouz -- http://www.amazon.com/Cairo-Trilogy-Palace-Everymans-Library/dp/0375413316/ref=pd_sim_b_3

I haven't finished the trilogy yet myself but what I have read is pretty thoroughly brilliant and should fall right in line with your historical fiction bent.

EDIT: Figured I'd throw some others out there too since now I'm thinking of more: Joan Didion's "Slouching Towards Bethleham," a book of essays roughly about America in the late 60s that I've probably read 6 or 7 times now. Absolutely amazing. Um, pretty much all of the pre-Nobel J.M. Coetzee stuff (after the Nobel he went off weirdly post-modern in a way that I'm just not getting.) I also have distinctly fond memories of David Malouf's "The Great World" -- I haven't read it in years but I remember it being pretty amazing, vaguely about WWII in the South Pacific but very character driven, a lot of jumping around in time. Katherine Anne Porter's novellas ("Pale Horse, Pale Rider" in particular) are must-reads. And, though it's unlike anything I've mentioned to this point, I really can't recommend this book enough: Denis Johnson's "Jesus' Son" -- kind of a life-changer for me.