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The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land Hardcover – January 1, 2010

by Thomas Asbridge (Author)

4.5 507 ratings

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A one-volume history of the Crusades to the Holy Land - telling this fascinating and bloody story from both Christian and Muslim perspectives for the first time.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harpercollins; First Edition (January 1, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 560 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743268601
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743268608
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.46 x 2.17 x 9.41 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,449,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #21,477 in European History (Books)

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4.5 507 ratings

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Thomas Asbridge

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Thomas Asbridge is Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary, University of London, and the author of 'The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power Behind Five English Thrones' (2014), 'The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land' (2010) and 'The First Crusade: A New History' (2004). He studied for a BA in Ancient and Medieval History at Cardiff University, and then gained his PhD in Medieval History at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Thomas wrote and presented a BBC documentary, 'The Greatest Knight: William Marshal', and a landmark three-part documentary series 'The Crusades' for the BBC, filmed on location across the Near East and Europe. He has also appeared in many other internationally broadcast television documentaries and radio programs, and has worked as a historical consultant for HBO and Company Pictures. He now lives in southern England.

For more information visit: www.thomasasbridge.com

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4.5 out of 5

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Patrick McGee

Awesome book!

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2013

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Asbridge does an excellant job explaining the societal factors impacting the Crusades as well as evaluating the possible motivations of the actors on both sides. This is a very balanced look at an important period in history. In recent years, many Western scholars (Reston, for instance) have depicted Islam as pure and the Crusaders as rapacious and unadulterated evil. Asbridge is evenhanded in his treatment of the West and Islam, which is a refreshing approach, since rarely is one side all good and the other all bad. The Crusades continue to be very relevant to modern issues involving the West and Islam and I would highly recommend this book as a good survey of an important period of this relationship between the two.

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CK Webb

Fantastic!!

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2011

WebbWeaver was asked by Simon & Schuster UK to review this title based on a 100 page excerpt and reference materials with maps. We graciously accepted their request and we were quite pleased.
We began our journey into The Crusades with Chapter 13, 'To Crusade' and continued through Chapter 16 'Lionheart'.
In late summer of 1187 Archbishop Joscius of Tyre, set sail for the West. Since Saladin's overtaking of the Holy Land, the most powerful men in the Latin world had become compelled to take up the cross and engage in the campaign and call to arms known throughout history as The Third Crusades. Among the most powerful were Frederick Barbarossa, Emperor of Germany and Phillip II Augustus, the young King of France. But it would be Richard the Lionheart, King of England who would rise as champion of the christian cause and challenge Saladin. The two would meet head to head in the Third Crusades, pitting King against Sultan.
Saladin's rise to power had grown quickly but his taking of Jerusalem marked the beginning of his real trials of leadership and would almost certainly become his downfall. It was much easier to conquer a land than to rule it. The battle between Christendom and the Jihadists is highlighted in great detail, re-enforced with artwork and maps that strategically place the reader directly in the heart of the conflict as it unfolds. We are witness to the first battle where the Christians are finally in a position to go on the offensive and begin the task of attempting to reclaim that which has been taken by Saladin but, a shift in the tides results in mass casualties and the Christians are defeated on the plains of Acre.
The turn in Christendom's favor begins when three and a half years after taking up the cross, King Richard I of England, finally sails into Palestine on June 8, 1191, bringing with him much needed supplies, re-enforcements and positive morale for the weary. Abandoned by the King of France, Richard the Lionheart would step up as a leader and king making the world know his intentions to reclaim the lands Saladin had taken.
After the execution of over 2,600 Saracens due to a broken treaty he and Saladin had entered into together, Richard the Lionheart was free to lead the Third Crusades on to victory. He would do this with the help of many including, the Templars, Poitevins, Normans and the English.
Though he may not be responsible for the turn in The Third Crusade, it is widely believed that Richard's contribution of outward gallantry just may have been the deciding factor in the direction the Crusades would take. The battle at Acre would indeed drive Saladin's forces into retreat however it would not signal the end of the Third Crusades, though it would bring Richard the Lionheart to the brink of victory.
The Crusades is an intricately and beautifully woven tapestry of historical proportions.
Though we have not had the pleasure of reading the book in its entirety, the small part of the journey we took with the writer was entrancing and enlightening. We are quite anxious to read more on the Crusades and that interest was sparked by our reading of three small chapters from The Crusades.
WebbWeaver is giving The Crusades:The War For The Holy Land a 4-star rating. We would recommend this to any history lover and anyone who has ever wondered about or questioned the past. Pick up Thomas Asbridge's book, you are sure to be pleased.
CK Webb & DJ Weaver
WebbWeaver Reviews

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Ed Buryn

informative, fascinating

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2020

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getting authentic info about the crusades again shows the greed cupidity and stupidity of humans, the foolishness of religions, and the need for humanity to finally grow up.

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2014

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A very long book (over 1500 pages) covering the Crusades from the first to the third one. Very well presented, with detailed information that made me feel like the main characters were presented with all their frailties, fears and hopes. Spent the whole holiday reading just this book, could not put it down.
A worthwhile read for everyone interested in the Crusades.

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vicky n

This book was hard going because it was so detailed ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2014

This book was hard going because it was so detailed but I appreciated that and it made you really think about the horror of the wars are people's mindsets and cruelty.

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Jürgen Kübler

Gute Qualität

Reviewed in Germany on March 2, 2024

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Schnell geliefert mit einem standardisiertem Inhalt. gutes Preis Leitstungsverhältnis

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Sourangshu Sarkar

A Captivating Historical Journey

Reviewed in India on August 8, 2023

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Intricately detailed and vividly narrated, this book masterfully brings to life a significant historical conflict. Asbridge's compelling storytelling takes readers on an immersive journey through the battles and ideologies of a bygone era. A must-read for history enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of a monumental war.

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Ramon

Exhaustive

Reviewed in Spain on January 6, 2020

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I had been told that this was a kind of definitive work on the topic and, indeed, its mere size so displays. It is a scholarly approach to a phenomenon that addresses the most known phenomenon from the European Middle Ages. Yet legend and myth have somehow blotted the real picture of the events. So, as a whole, the book fits the bill. Still, at times one cannot but feel a bit overwhelmed by the detailed and morose description of certain episodes.

Plucked Highbrow

For over a thousand years inter-religious strife has been focused ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2016

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For over a thousand years inter-religious strife has been focused on the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Jerusalem is a holy place for the three Abrahamic religions and therefore is a jewel fought over. Conquered by Islamic forces in the 7th century, Christian pilgrims were still able to access the holy places but by the 11th century the papacy felt that Jerusalem should be rules by Christians. Thus began two centuries of warfare for possession of the Holy Land involving the elite of the European nobility and a succession of Muslim rulers.

This is a superb book, meticulously researched and full of detail. What is really important about this book is the fact that it offers a balanced view of the times. Most books focus solely on the 'Franks' but Asbridge also considers the muslim situation in depth, neither side was truly focused and both were riven by issues related to leadership. This aspect gives a depth to the history which is refreshing. Asbridge also expands the view to consider the hijacking of the word 'crusade' in modern times. This is a definitive history of a relatively short but violent series of encounters.

15 people found this helpful