From a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (The New Yorker) comes the most authoritative, readable single-volume historyof the brutal struggle for the Holy Land.Nine hundred years ago, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the Pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed, Islam and Christianity—both firm in the belief that they were at God's work—fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars: the Crusades.For the first time, this book tells the story of that epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims. A vivid and fast-paced narrative history, it exposes the full horror, passion, and barbaric grandeur of the Crusading era, leading us into a world of legendary champions—such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin—shadowy Assassins, poet-warriors, …
From a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (The New Yorker) comes the most authoritative, readable single-volume historyof the brutal struggle for the Holy Land.Nine hundred years ago, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the Pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed, Islam and Christianity—both firm in the belief that they were at God's work—fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars: the Crusades.For the first time, this book tells the story of that epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims. A vivid and fast-paced narrative history, it exposes the full horror, passion, and barbaric grandeur of the Crusading era, leading us into a world of legendary champions—such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin—shadowy Assassins, poet-warriors, and pious visionaries; across the desert sands of Egypt to the verdant forests of Lebanon; and through the ancient cities of Constantinople, Cairo, and Damascus.Drawing on painstaking original research and an intimate knowledge of the Near East, Thomas Asbridge uncovers what drove Muslims and Christians alike to embrace the ideals of jihad and crusade, revealing how these holy wars reshaped the medieval world and why they continue to influence events today.
Larguísima historia de las ocho o diez cruzadas y sobre todo de la complicada supervivencia de los reinos latinos de Levante. Mucha batallita y mucho personaje interesante, desde Godofredo de Bouillon y Richard Coeur de Lion (más francés que los croissants) hasta Saladino y Baybars el mameluco. Bien contada, se lee como un libro de aventuras. A pesar de ser un buen tocho, echo de menos algo de contexto: ¿cómo vivía esa gente? ¿qué comerciaban? ¿influencias culturales más allá del último modelo de catapulta?
Well written, accessible and readable study of the crusades from both Christian and Muslim perspectives. Asbridge seems very interested in the motivations for the crusades (and the reactions it caused in and around Palestine) and is especially careful and precise in describing these motivations. He offers a nuanced and realistic view of the effects of the crusades and in the conclusion he mentions some very important points about how to view those two centuries now. Asbridge occassionally seems to get too enthusiastic when introducing a new "player" (the rise of Saladin, the arrival of Richard I in Palestine) but it doesn't influence his analysis and does make for fascinating and even exciting reading.
