Chasing the Heretics: A Modern Journey Through the Medieval Languedoc

by Rion Klawinski

Book by Klawinski, Rion

Genres: France, Medieval, Travel, Religion, History

217 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 1999

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting introduction to a sorta forgotten corner of history, a medieval crusade that wasn't against the muslims in the holy land, but instead was against a group of Christian heretics in southern France, the Cathars.
The writing here is okay, not perfect, and the compelling parts are mainly the history of the bloody battles and massacres. The interludes in the present day as the author troops around the Languedoc region of France are pretty dull, you want him to get back to the history. But the book really made me want to visit that part of France, and it made me want to learn more about this crusade, which my history books have all kind of skipped over. I found another book that will hopefully go into more detail.

[Steven McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been staring at this book, online and then on my shelves, for over a decade before I actually started reading it, and I finished it in less than a week.
A very "enjoyable" book about the author's travels in Languedoc, a region in southwestern France. His goal: to trace the path of a 13th century crusade against a local challenge to the Roman church. Not a pretty piece of history, but the author succeeds at addressing it without glossing over all of the gory details, yet keeps it deep in the past.
Unlike some other reviewers, I enjoyed the author's interjection of his own memoires. He managed to insert himself into the history, yet never became the primary storyline.
Makes me want to go back to Languedoc for more than just a day or two.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy these travelogue / histories that relate past events in the context of the author's experience of the locations they took place. In this case it's a history of the Albigensian Crusades and the destruction of the Languedoc. If you like the middle ages and/or travel writing, give it a try.

[Rosemary Mccaffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable book...especially if one has plans to travel to the southwest part of France. Part travelogue, part history book. I debated between three and four stars.

[Julie]

My review is posted on my blog at: http://bookgargoyle.blogspot.com/2013...