Rate this book

The Crusades: The Authoritative History Of The War For The Holy Land (2010)

by Thomas Asbridge(Favorite Author)

4.13 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0060787287 (ISBN13: 9780060787288)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Ecco

review 1: This book provides a unique perspective on the middle ages and the Christian-Islamic conflict that continues today. The book is large and detailed, but doesn't get bogged down and is easy to read. The author is clearly a historian and seems to present both sides of this conflict fairly. I'm sure this book isn't for everyone but anyone with a taste for history and religion I think will find this book well worth their time.
review 2: Very interesting overview of the Crusades. There's a particular focus on the rise of Saladin & the Third Crusade (little under half the text is dedicated to this era) though the later crusades are also given a sizeable (if relatively less exhaustive) account. Anyone who's already read Asbridge's previous book The First Crusade, the f... moreirst 100 or so pages of this book are basically just a less detailed version of that (but it's been a while since I read that so it was nice refresher of that time period). The proceeding section however does do a good job of illustrating what happened the aftermath of this time period in the lead up to the rise of Zangi/Nur Al Din/Saladin. Like most non fiction set over a long time period there are a lot of names to keep track of & it can be difficult to keep track of them all. There are some good mini biographies of the notables (Richard the Lionheart, Frederick II, Baybars etc.) It's very informative & enjoyable to read (Asbridge generally foregoes being overly descriptive re: sources so the narrative has a good flow to it). Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in Medieval history. less

Download links for: The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land

Advertising