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The Crusades: An Enthralling Overview of An Event in Christian History that Took Place in the Middle Ages
So, you think you know what happened during the Crusades. But do you really?
It’s a good question to ask since there are plenty of misconceptions regarding what caused the Crusades, let alone what actually took place during their duration. In this audiobook, we seek to clear up many of these questions and provide you with a concise and accurate history of the Crusades. Much of the history of the Crusades has been obscured through the years through opinionated conjecture. We attempt to set the record straight in as unbiased a portrayal as possible.
In this audiobook, we tell you what happened and let you decide for yourselves what it was all worth. The Crusades were a call to defend Eastern Christians and aid Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. It was only once the massive earthquake of Christian crusaders was unleashed from the West that the Crusades morphed into something altogether different. This audiobook explores how the scope and ideology of the Crusades evolved over time, from the conquest of Jerusalem during the First Crusade to the fall of the Crusader States.
We also take a look at other instances in which Crusades were made, such as the famous Northern Crusades and the Reconquista of Portugal and Spain. If you would like to learn more about what the Crusades were all about, what caused them to take place, and how it all ended up, this audiobook has you covered!
In this audiobook, you will learn about the
How the Crusades actually began. The initial objectives of the crusaders. How the Crusades evolved over time. The monastic orders involved in the Crusades. The Kingdom of Jerusalem and its important rulers. The Northern Crusades. The Reconquista. And so much more!
It’s a good question to ask since there are plenty of misconceptions regarding what caused the Crusades, let alone what actually took place during their duration. In this audiobook, we seek to clear up many of these questions and provide you with a concise and accurate history of the Crusades. Much of the history of the Crusades has been obscured through the years through opinionated conjecture. We attempt to set the record straight in as unbiased a portrayal as possible.
In this audiobook, we tell you what happened and let you decide for yourselves what it was all worth. The Crusades were a call to defend Eastern Christians and aid Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. It was only once the massive earthquake of Christian crusaders was unleashed from the West that the Crusades morphed into something altogether different. This audiobook explores how the scope and ideology of the Crusades evolved over time, from the conquest of Jerusalem during the First Crusade to the fall of the Crusader States.
We also take a look at other instances in which Crusades were made, such as the famous Northern Crusades and the Reconquista of Portugal and Spain. If you would like to learn more about what the Crusades were all about, what caused them to take place, and how it all ended up, this audiobook has you covered!
In this audiobook, you will learn about the
How the Crusades actually began. The initial objectives of the crusaders. How the Crusades evolved over time. The monastic orders involved in the Crusades. The Kingdom of Jerusalem and its important rulers. The Northern Crusades. The Reconquista. And so much more!
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
Audible Audio
Published April 18, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 6, 2024
Well! I'm glad I didn't live in Europe between 1000 and 1400 AD...or anytime for that matter.
Humans are an argumentative, squabbling bunch of animals aren't they? I think if Jesus were alive around the time of The Crusades, he'd be mighty pissed. It seems that war was the way of things and religion was used as the excuse.
In 1096, the Muslims had besieged Jerusalem and Pope Urban II thought, "Fuckin' hell! Those vile little bastards are stealing our holy lands. Well I better ring God and see what he says." After much fervent prayer, Pope felt that God told him to kick their arses out of the Holy Land. How convenient! I bet that's NOT what God told him. And so the first crusade started. That was also the start of religious wars that continue even now. Religion is good...mostly. Using religion as an excuse to attack other humans isn't...good that is.
Things I learned:
I thought there were only four crusades. There were in fact, shitloads. And not all of them about reclaiming the Holy Lands. In fact, most of them seemed to be about robbing, raping and looting.
The Crusades featured famous names like Richard The Lionheart (Richard 1st), King Louis IX and Saint Francis of Assissi.
The Crusades became so complicated, that much of Europe descended into violent conflict...much like today.
Jerusalem must be the most invaded country/city in the world. Poland runs a close second.
This book is a succinct but highly detailed account of a violent and shameful period of what we called The Crusades. Superbly researched and written. I learned a lot. HOWEVER: If you want a more entertaining and practical book about The Crusades, then read Alfred Duggan's Knight With Armour
Humans are an argumentative, squabbling bunch of animals aren't they? I think if Jesus were alive around the time of The Crusades, he'd be mighty pissed. It seems that war was the way of things and religion was used as the excuse.
In 1096, the Muslims had besieged Jerusalem and Pope Urban II thought, "Fuckin' hell! Those vile little bastards are stealing our holy lands. Well I better ring God and see what he says." After much fervent prayer, Pope felt that God told him to kick their arses out of the Holy Land. How convenient! I bet that's NOT what God told him. And so the first crusade started. That was also the start of religious wars that continue even now. Religion is good...mostly. Using religion as an excuse to attack other humans isn't...good that is.
Things I learned:
I thought there were only four crusades. There were in fact, shitloads. And not all of them about reclaiming the Holy Lands. In fact, most of them seemed to be about robbing, raping and looting.
The Crusades featured famous names like Richard The Lionheart (Richard 1st), King Louis IX and Saint Francis of Assissi.
The Crusades became so complicated, that much of Europe descended into violent conflict...much like today.
Jerusalem must be the most invaded country/city in the world. Poland runs a close second.
This book is a succinct but highly detailed account of a violent and shameful period of what we called The Crusades. Superbly researched and written. I learned a lot. HOWEVER: If you want a more entertaining and practical book about The Crusades, then read Alfred Duggan's Knight With Armour
January 12, 2023
The analysis in this ebook is superb; I'm sorry that only five stars are available for the rating. I've read several books about the Crusades, and this one stands out for its excellence. Readers who may have wondered how and why the Crusades started will want to read this book. I found new tidbits of fascinating information in every chapter. Historians have changed their opinions about why the Crusades occurred, and this ebook highlights them. Amazingly, St. Augustine, in the 4th century, assured Christians that it could be God's will to spill blood. Before this, Christians had difficulty accepting violence for religion's sake. When the Romans became Christians, it was harder to find Roman soldiers willing to use the sword because Christ's teachings encouraged nonviolence.
Chapter One was stunning; how Muslims interpreted Jesus Christ was revelatory. This chapter was so dense with new (to me) information, that I found myself reading it three times. The main thrust of Islam was to correct the 'errors' of religion at that time (page 5). The word descriptions of the People's Crusade were powerful reading; it explained so much about why they were annihilated so quickly.
Whoever selected the introductory quotes that opened each chapter did a masterful job. It makes the reader look at this history from different slants. After discussing the various military/monastic orders, this book mentions the Order of Saint Lazarus. They needed fighters so desperately that when individual Knights Templar (and other military groups) came down with leprosy, they were moved to the St. Lazarus unit. They continued fighting because their nerves were deadened, and they did not feel the attacks. Also, they were fearsome because they wore bandages that barely covered their open sores! These Leper Knights were known as the 'living dead.'
Part Two of this volume discussed
- The Northern Crusades (going after the pagans left in northwestern Europe),
- The Crusades against heretics (specifically the Christian Gnostics and Cathars),
- The Alexandrian Crusade (a preemptive strike against the Egyptians before they attacked Cyprus),
- The Savoyard Crusades (attacking the Balkans to limit the influence of the Ottomans),
- The Ottoman Crusades (aimed at pushing the Turks back, resulted in the seizure of Gallipoli), and
- The Reconquista (Christian states waged military campaigns to recapture the Iberian lands from the Muslims)
The lasting legacy of the Crusades is that there were no 'good guys,' just religious zealots who thought they were justified in their actions. It is easy to see why "Crusades" is such a loaded word.
Chapter One was stunning; how Muslims interpreted Jesus Christ was revelatory. This chapter was so dense with new (to me) information, that I found myself reading it three times. The main thrust of Islam was to correct the 'errors' of religion at that time (page 5). The word descriptions of the People's Crusade were powerful reading; it explained so much about why they were annihilated so quickly.
Whoever selected the introductory quotes that opened each chapter did a masterful job. It makes the reader look at this history from different slants. After discussing the various military/monastic orders, this book mentions the Order of Saint Lazarus. They needed fighters so desperately that when individual Knights Templar (and other military groups) came down with leprosy, they were moved to the St. Lazarus unit. They continued fighting because their nerves were deadened, and they did not feel the attacks. Also, they were fearsome because they wore bandages that barely covered their open sores! These Leper Knights were known as the 'living dead.'
Part Two of this volume discussed
- The Northern Crusades (going after the pagans left in northwestern Europe),
- The Crusades against heretics (specifically the Christian Gnostics and Cathars),
- The Alexandrian Crusade (a preemptive strike against the Egyptians before they attacked Cyprus),
- The Savoyard Crusades (attacking the Balkans to limit the influence of the Ottomans),
- The Ottoman Crusades (aimed at pushing the Turks back, resulted in the seizure of Gallipoli), and
- The Reconquista (Christian states waged military campaigns to recapture the Iberian lands from the Muslims)
The lasting legacy of the Crusades is that there were no 'good guys,' just religious zealots who thought they were justified in their actions. It is easy to see why "Crusades" is such a loaded word.
August 10, 2024
read this primarily as a quick primer for my crusades class this semester. this did its job and it didn’t feel like i was getting inundated with dates and names, rather focusing on the ideological motivations that fueled these events. bonus points for a relatively engaging voice that didn’t veer far into dull academic territory.
November 10, 2023
One of the most interesting thing about this book is just how many times people went to war over a religious difference. I originally thought there were just a few crusades but there were a lot more and a bunch of them were stated by the Pope at that time.
The book points out that Jesus advocated for non-violence while Pope Urban II said in relation to the crusades 'God wills it.'
The book explains where these happened, how the various battles progressed and how often one side would win then the other side would take over and go on like this.
Anyhow, There was the People's Crusade in 1095 (which also attacked Jews on the way to battle the Muslims), the first official crusade in 1096 (where if you fought you would be given an exemption for Purgatory), then the third, fourth and fifth crusades.
The author also discusses the Knights Templar and related groups that fought in the crusades.
Then there was the Northern Crusade, a crusade to destroy the Cathars, the Bosnian Crusade, the CAlexandrian Crusade and even more crusades after that one.
A lot of this was also involved with taking over territory and how the Christians and Muslims would defeat an area, then lose it, then defeat it and so on.
The author does a really good job detailing just what happened.
The book points out that Jesus advocated for non-violence while Pope Urban II said in relation to the crusades 'God wills it.'
The book explains where these happened, how the various battles progressed and how often one side would win then the other side would take over and go on like this.
Anyhow, There was the People's Crusade in 1095 (which also attacked Jews on the way to battle the Muslims), the first official crusade in 1096 (where if you fought you would be given an exemption for Purgatory), then the third, fourth and fifth crusades.
The author also discusses the Knights Templar and related groups that fought in the crusades.
Then there was the Northern Crusade, a crusade to destroy the Cathars, the Bosnian Crusade, the CAlexandrian Crusade and even more crusades after that one.
A lot of this was also involved with taking over territory and how the Christians and Muslims would defeat an area, then lose it, then defeat it and so on.
The author does a really good job detailing just what happened.
January 25, 2023
It’s all you might ever need to know about the Crusades. The good, bad and evil involved on both sides of this religious warfare are chronicled here.
If you are at all interested in this historical event I’d recommend reading this book.
Full disclosure
I read the book as an advance copy and did not buy the book.
If you are at all interested in this historical event I’d recommend reading this book.
Full disclosure
I read the book as an advance copy and did not buy the book.
July 29, 2023
Ignorance
All that I read about the crusades was superfluous after reading this book.the crusades were much more confusing than I persumed.
the crusades may still be ongoing but sadly still, in th name of religion.
All that I read about the crusades was superfluous after reading this book.the crusades were much more confusing than I persumed.
the crusades may still be ongoing but sadly still, in th name of religion.
December 1, 2025
Perhaps I like a little more excitement in a book, but it was informative nevertheless. Short and sweet.
September 12, 2023
Kindle book—easy read to understand the Crusades
July 11, 2025
General summary of the Crusades - could use more context and details, but overall provides the general timeline and key points of the respective Crusades.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews