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Делата на Танкред
Третата книга от поредицата Средновековна Европа представя друг средновековен герой – Танкред (вероятно 1076/1078–1112 г.), който е най-младият военачалник по време на Първия кръстоносен поход. Той произхожда от благородническа норманска фамилия, която бързо се издига до кралската власт в Сицилия. Ентусиазиран и отчаян, вярващ и грабещ, състрадателен и безмилостен – това е войникът, който Раул ни представя понякога повече като литературен образ, отколкото като историческа личност. „Делата на Танкред” е не просто исторически разказ – това е самата рицарска идеология, съвременната представа за новия епически герой.
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
About the author
Bernard S. Bachrach
41 books8 followersBernard Stanley Bachrach was an American historian and a professor of history at the University of Minnesota. He specialized in the Early Middle Ages, mainly on the topics of Medieval warfare, Medieval Jewry, and early Angevin history. He received the CEE Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Minnesota in 1993 and entered the College of Liberal Arts Scholars of the College at Minnesota in 2000. He has also been the recipient of a McKnight Research Award.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 4, 2016
As this is a primary source, I am not reviewing Ralph of Caen as an historian but rather this edition of his work.
Ashgate's Crusade Texts in Translation series has to be commended for making a wide variety of often obscure primary sources available in scholarly editions, and the 'Gesta Tancredi' is no exception. The introduction to this work is a little shorter than some of the others, but it remains just as useful and covers most of the major points. Robert the Monk's History of the First Crusade: Historia Iherosolimitana (Crusade Texts in Translation) (Crusade Texts in Translation) has an introduction that is almost 75 pages long, and Walter the Chancellors & the Antiochene Wars (Crusade Texts in Translation) is about the same. The introduction in the 'Gesta Tancredi' only runs about 20 pages, but it is sufficient. The short length may also reflect a general lack of scholarship on Ralph of Caen. The rather short bibliography also seems to indicate this. This text also has two particularly good maps of the area around Antioch, which are extremely helpful. The quality of the maps is exceptional and worth mentioning. The notes are generally sufficient, although they are a little sparse.
There is only problem with this edition, and it is the discussion of the text's relation to the 'Gesta Francorum'. The translators include a short section in the introduction about Ralph of Caen as an independent source, but they primarily note little details that are not mentioned in other crusade sources. Given the number of crusade texts that are based upon the 'Gesta Francorum' I am a bit surprised that there is not more of a mention of it here. The translators may very well be right in suggesting that the text is largely independent, but they do not provide much evidence to support this view. Further discussion of this is necessary, and the fact that it is lacking from this text is a significant fault because it may be essential to understanding much of Ralph's First Crusade material. Still, this is a great edition of an important text even with this omission.
Ashgate's Crusade Texts in Translation series has to be commended for making a wide variety of often obscure primary sources available in scholarly editions, and the 'Gesta Tancredi' is no exception. The introduction to this work is a little shorter than some of the others, but it remains just as useful and covers most of the major points. Robert the Monk's History of the First Crusade: Historia Iherosolimitana (Crusade Texts in Translation) (Crusade Texts in Translation) has an introduction that is almost 75 pages long, and Walter the Chancellors & the Antiochene Wars (Crusade Texts in Translation) is about the same. The introduction in the 'Gesta Tancredi' only runs about 20 pages, but it is sufficient. The short length may also reflect a general lack of scholarship on Ralph of Caen. The rather short bibliography also seems to indicate this. This text also has two particularly good maps of the area around Antioch, which are extremely helpful. The quality of the maps is exceptional and worth mentioning. The notes are generally sufficient, although they are a little sparse.
There is only problem with this edition, and it is the discussion of the text's relation to the 'Gesta Francorum'. The translators include a short section in the introduction about Ralph of Caen as an independent source, but they primarily note little details that are not mentioned in other crusade sources. Given the number of crusade texts that are based upon the 'Gesta Francorum' I am a bit surprised that there is not more of a mention of it here. The translators may very well be right in suggesting that the text is largely independent, but they do not provide much evidence to support this view. Further discussion of this is necessary, and the fact that it is lacking from this text is a significant fault because it may be essential to understanding much of Ralph's First Crusade material. Still, this is a great edition of an important text even with this omission.
November 13, 2011
As part of Ashgate's "Crusade Texts in Translation" series, this is a readable and informative edition of a medieval history that deserves to be better known. Kudos to Bachrach and Bachrach for the high quality of the translation, the helpful introduction and the useful footnotes that highlight literary and historical references. You could pick this up and get a lot out of it after reading only generally on Crusader history - if you've studied a fair bit more, it would be even more rewarding to read.
May 9, 2024
The epic story of Tancred, Bohemond and the Normans and their vital role in the success of the 1096-1099 expedition to recover the Holy sepulchre in Jerusalem.
«Although Tancred was a man, he was a lion rather than a man, and he had the mouth and eyes of a lion and especially the heart of a lion. He rushed on to do great deeds such that Ajax could not dream, nor that Hector or his conqueror Achilles would dare.»
«Although Tancred was a man, he was a lion rather than a man, and he had the mouth and eyes of a lion and especially the heart of a lion. He rushed on to do great deeds such that Ajax could not dream, nor that Hector or his conqueror Achilles would dare.»
March 22, 2022
Ralph of Caen, was raised by monks, and was present with Bohemond and Tancred during the first crusade. His voice is authoritative as to the many battles and conquests of various mid eastern cities, including the taking of Jerusalem in 1099. This is an eyewitness account not a modern day scholar's interpretation of the events of those times.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews