by Thomas F. Madden
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Product Description
How have the crusades contributed to Islamist rage and terrorism today? Were the crusades the Christian equivalent of modern jihad? In this sweeping yet crisp history, Thomas F. Madden offers a brilliant and compelling narrative of the crusades and their contemporary relevance. Placing all the major crusades within their medieval social, economic, religious, and intellectual environments, Madden explores the uniquely medieval world that led untold thousands to leave their homes, family, and friends to march in Christ's name to distant lands. From Palestine and Europe's farthest reaches, each crusade is recounted in clear, concise narrative. The author gives special attention as well to the crusades' effects on the Islamic world and the Christian Byzantine East.
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Average Customer Review:
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 A beam of light after so much dark age historiography, 2008-08-03
The Crusades are one of the historical events most mischaracterized by the historians and, consequently, most misunderstood by the students and general readers. To this sad state of affairs in the scholarly arena, one must add the obvious misinformation disseminated by the press and the news media (yes, even PBS and the History Channel) bordering on dishonesty, and the exploitation of the emotions connected to this subject by political and religious figures of all stripes and nationalities seeking to advance their agenda.
A book like the one by Professor Madden, therefore, is much welcome. It is a brief but factual introduction to the Crusades that attempts to place them in the proper historical perspective while not shying away from considering their legacy (a whole chapter is dedicated to this) and their influence on events of our own day. It is truly a beam of light in the obscurantist historiography of our dark age.
(Reviewed by A. L. Gattozzi)
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Nice Overview, Great for Students or those who need a quick review., 2008-05-01
Last year I found myself needing a quick refresher on the crusades. What I wanted was a modern look not a book from 20-30 years ago. This book fit the bill perfectly,it could have been 50 pages longer where I was very interested in a specific topic but everyone will have a different focus while reading it so maybe it's just fine how it is.Great starter on the middle east or perfect for HS or beginning college students.Easy to read and understand with detailed descriptions of many key events.This book will help you better understand why and where WE are in the middle east today.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Great Background Book, 2008-04-27
A great place to begin your study of the crusades. Very accurate and still readable by the new student. The book is relatively short for books on the crusades, only 300 pages - and is an easy read.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Great book to start with!, 2008-04-24
I am not going to write too many details because other reviewers have already done a good job in doing so. I am just here to tell you that I have long been a student of history and the Crusades is one of my major areas of intrest. I have read many books on the Crusades and I can honestly write that this is the best book for someone just getting started in studying this fascinating era. Madden is very objective and does an excellent job dispelling many myths about the crusaders. Those who give this book a low rating are most likely people who fall into one of two groups: 1.) People who are hostile to religion in general and Christianity in particular or 2.) People of the Islamic faith who cannot accept the fact that the Crusades were defensive military campaigns in response to Islamic desire for world conquest through the sword. I hope this review helps inspire you to buy this easy to read and very accurate account of the Crusades.
8 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
 Approach with caution, 2008-01-07
I would take Madden's claims with a large grain of salt. In particular he claims that the image of the Crusades as wars of conquest are a "myth." He argues that they were purely defensive responses to Muslim agression, that they had little or no motive of wealth, and that the crusaders were responding to the Byzantines' pleas for help in recovering their captured lands.
However it's difficult to claim that the Catholic church was "defending itself" by attacking Jerusalem time and time again for 150 years. The real Islamic threat to Catholic lands was all the way on the other end of the Mediterranean, in Spain. And if the crusaders wanted no lands, and wished only to return the lands lost by the Byzantine Empire, then why did they keep the land they took for themselves? Why did Urban himself tell the crusaders to take the wealth of the holy lands and "subject it to yourselves" when he first called for the crusades? The Byzantines didn't see a single acre of land returned from the crusaders' conquests - and in fact the Fourth Crusade destroyed the Empire itself with the sack of Constantinople in 1204.
Madden's book is interesting mainly as an introduction to anti-Islamic apology and revisionist history. The facts of what the crusaders actually did are hard to reconcile with Madden's claims about their motives.
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