Thomas is Professor of History and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University. As an author and historical consultant, he has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and The History Channel. He is the author of "The Concise History of the Crusades," "The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople," and numerous other books and studies. He is a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Medieval Academy of America, and was named a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar.