The Crusades

The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land Hardcover – March 9, 2010
Author: Visit ‘s Thomas Asbridge Page ID: 0060787287

From Booklist

Author of The First Crusade (2004), British historian Asbridge widens his vista to the entire 11951291 duration of the crusading era, giving prominence in the holy-war epic to antagonists forever famous: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. Each leaders role as standard-bearer of his cause reflects Asbridges significant emphasis on the entanglement of secular politics with the overt religious aspect to the wars between Latin Christianity and Islam. Crass considerations of dynastic power were never separate from the calculations of these champions and their successors, and partly indicate Islams desultory pace in expunging the Christian states established by the First Crusade. In addition, medieval warfares high-risk characterin which a single encounter, such as the 1098 siege of Antioch or the 1187 Battle of Hattin, could completely turn the strategic tablesgoes far in Asbridges able hands to informing readers about the course of the Crusades. With perceptive commentary about spiritual motivations behind crusading and perspectives from contemporary Islamic sources, Asbridge constructs a comprehensive, sophisticated, and arresting analytical narrative rewarding to any level of historical interest, whether recreational or scholarly. –Gilbert Taylor

Review

“Brilliant, authoritative, and accessible, Thomas Asbridge’s THE CRUSADES is a must read. Asbridge balances impeccable scholarship with a gifted storyteller’s engaging voice. He vividly portrays the driving forces and personalities, the perspectives of Christians and Muslims, and the legacy of the Crusades in Christian and Muslim history and imagination.” (Professor John L. Esposito, Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, and author of The Future of Islam.)

“A truly comprehensive history of holy war in the Holy Land. Emphasizing the dramatic Third Crusade and its heroic antagonists, Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, the narrative reads like an adventure story, albeit one that is both factual and instructive.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

See all Editorial Reviews

Hardcover: 784 pagesPublisher: Ecco; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0060787287ISBN-13: 978-0060787288 Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.7 x 9 inches Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds Best Sellers Rank: #719,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #3307 in Books > History > Middle East #4497 in Books > History > World > Religious > Christianity #20675 in Books > History > Military
A good, readable history of The Crusades has escaped me to this point, for whatever reason. I was very excited when Tynerman’s God’s War was released a few years ago, and quickly became disenchanted when I tried slogging through it and realized what a boringly-written brick it was. Couldn’t finish it. Runciman’s classic volumes, which have been the definitive essential reading for half a century now, are still valid, entertaining reads but have been long since over-taken by newer evidence and much fresher, more-encompassing interpretations. As a read, they’re still great fun. As good history, they’re quite biased and lacking today.

So, when I saw a shiny new tome promising a complete revisiting of long-held assumptions, I couldn’t resist. Asbridge’s chronology is straightforward; starting with a quick survey of Islam’s rise and subsequent takeover of the Christian Holy Land, he moves to Europe to set the scene of the medieval papacy and nascent western kingships that would bring about the concept of Crusading. In a nice touch, he continues to revisit the contemporary meanings, definitions and assumptions behind crusading as it developed from an event without even a name ("crusading" was a later appellation) to the currently-understood form. From these basics, he moves us through each of the main five Crusades, deftly describing the expected peoples, places, and battles. He strikes a good balance between talking about the most important figures and key battles versus the less-glamorous but as-important topics such as trade and societal makeup that, while harder to make exciting, are very important when trying to gain a full understanding of the events.

Very crucially, he spends as much time covering the Arab viewpoint as he does the Christian.

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