The Crusades

by Michael Paine

Bloody, violent and often misunderstood, the Crusades still loom large as a chilling example of what is possible when two powerful cultures collide. They were the stage upon which the great medieval knights and their Saracen opponents, acted out their dramas. They were the battleground on which two opposing religions and cultures met, with results that have resonated down the centuries to this day. What were the Crusades? Why were they fought? And what did they teach us? Exploring the history, myths and imagery that comprise our modern understanding of this long and vicious clash between Christianity and Islam, The Crusades is a stimulating examination of one of the most brutal and complex chapters in our shared history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, European History, Middle East, Islam, Medieval History

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Pseudonym for John Michael Curlovich

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Arthur Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richly illustrated coffee table book but doesn’t deviate from the orthodox interpretations of the Crusades despite the subtitle.

[Beorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alright introductory book to the Crusades, though not as conclusive as it probably would like to think of itself as. The fact that the page count for a book that aims to cover all seven Crusades conclusively is not even two hundred pages should tell you all you need to about this book.

There are a few significant things about this book that could easily grate on the reader. The first being that there are virtually no paragraphs in the text or any kind of break in what end up being big blocks of text making it a little like an avalanche of information at times.
Also, there are more than a few cases where you feel like the author is skimming over key events only giving the minimal information it can before racing off to talk of something else.

Overall a less than immersive or engaging coverage of the Crusades but one that could be seen as a reader to get novices to speed quickly before they research particular parts more closely.

This gets a 3/5 because, while I can't say I "liked it", it was still a fairly decent book for what it sets out to do, there's just too many books out there doing a far better job at covering the Crusades.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a basic overview of the entire Crusades era, from Pope Urban II's call to action in 1095 to the fall of Acre in 1291. It's presented chronologically and is short, sweet, and to the point. There are more in-depth explanations of this chaotic period in other books (such as Zoe Oldenbourg's The Crusades), but if you want a simple timeline and an introduction to the main players of Christianity and Islam, this is perfect.

Book History = Spring (stir the crowds)

[Michel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A thumbnail. For people who want to know a few salient facts about the crusades, but are afraid to ask. Barely better than Wikipedia though.

[Jeff Koslowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 star book in that it is trying to cover all of the Crusades in one 187 page reading sometimes at a detriment to the story and people involved. Thay being said, it includes a bevy of pictures that bring parts of the story to life. If you are a World History teacher, this is a solid addition to your student library. It can also help to strengthen a lesson you might have by providing material that is beyond your standard text book.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a concise and balanced understanding of the crusades with funny stories this book delivers. Michael Paine examines the political reasons behind the crusades while sharing monty pythonesque stories along the way. His writing style is sharp and funny, his account while focused on the western perspective does not glorify the battles or people.

[Brian Connick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too broad for it's format. IMO, to be this brief and broad requires more maps, timelines or similar support. Instead we just get a bunch of pictures that don't add much. Somehow includes details that feel unnecessary while leaving out others that feel vital.

I would have wanted this to give me a jumping off point to explore a particular crusade, person or region in more depth, but it did not.

[Edin Selimović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kao što naslov kaže, ovo je općenita knjiga o Križarskim pohodima (njih sedam ili devet, zavisno kako brojite), i uradila je dobar posao. Lijep pregled o svakom, bez previše detaljisanja. Dobra knjiga.

[Ann Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are endless books concerning the Crusades but I wanted a quick survey to help me understand another book on the subject. Paine's book was perfect. I recommend it if you are reading more detailed information on the topic and need some focus. It's a fast 137-page read.

[Autumn Slaght · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how I feel about this one. More research required! I feel like it was a lot of info dump and that could get pretty overwhelming.

[Louis Picone · Rating 3 out of 5]

it is way too brief for such an extensive topic

[vin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of the 200 year period known as the era of the crusades. A major highlight is the pictures and paintings on every page that really give the reader a feel of the barbarism and religious fervor of the times.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by the the Crusades. I don't know if it is because of my early interest in the Templars and the other orders of military monks, but I've read quite a bit about it. This book was pretty good. It was slow reading because it was mostly dates, names, and places. Commentary was kept to a minimum. It would have been a much more interesting read if Paine had given us more short stories about some of the more illustrative characters or some of the bigger names. There was just enough information to keep me reading, but not enough in my opinion. Of course, Paine did cram 200 years of crusades into less than 200 pages.

The best thing about the book, besides the general information, were the beautiful reproductions of old paintings and drawings concerning the individuals or events that were being discussed on that particular page. It could almost be argued that the book was just an excuse to put together a beautiful collection of crusader art. The pages of the book are extra thick and the printing was top quality.

The art and how it was presented pushed this book up to the 3 star level.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is deplorable for many reasons. There is only one map offered in this book and it doesn't even list all of the cities mentioned in the text. Second, the author rushes through lots of information too quickly. There is no glossary to help the reader understand terms that aren't well defined in the text. There's a chronology but I would have liked to have had a 'family tree' type graph to keep up with all the relatives/relationships that were important in the Crusades.

THE CRUSADES, by Timothy Levi Biel, with about the same number of pages, was twice as informative as this book. I found Paine's book in the Teen Book section of my local library. Thus, librarians expected teens to use the information on these pages. Who says teens wouldn't like to have pictures to explain some of the text? In this 2005 edition, there are no pictures other than the covers.

Another problem with this book is that there are so few paragraphs; each page is a near-block of print. So much print on each page is unattractive and discourages a reader from delving into the book.

[Mariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in the bargain section at a bookstore and bought it on a whim. It's a beautifully illustrated book - there are lots of paintings and sketches that illustrate the subject matter, in addition to photos of the areas as they are today. Definitely worth it for that. Substantively, it left me with the same feeling I get watching specials on the History Channel: that was fun and a good overview. It didn't set out to be any more or less than that.

I was able to read it quickly because I had a background in much of the history discussed, but for those who have no exposure to the Crusades this would be a lovely overview and something that may pique further interest.

[Palmaryne Kiernan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very informal about the written records of the Crusades as well as other relative and nonrelative events that occurred during that time. Although the book was informational and has helped broaden my field of understanding, reading it for entertainment purposes was extremely difficult. There were some interesting topics in the book- most of which were related to the first and third Crusades- and has helped me understand more about them. However as an overall statement, there was much difficultly in reading this book for fun.

[Bruinrefugee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a relatively short book, which is nice. Once you get past the introduction (and putting aside the conclusion), which struck me as the kind of nonsense that suggests the whole book is going to look back at these tough times (for all concerned) through the lens of todays issues and politics, it actually does a pretty good job providing a very concise summary of what happened. Not enough maps, but does a better job than most explaining the role and connections of family in the region during this time. For those who like illustrations, it's also very colorfully done.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven Crusades and some 200 years in 130 pages? That means a densely packed little volume with hardly any room for anything but the facts...which is why I read the book. It's a very good introduction to this fascinating and deplorable series of events and certainly worth being saved as an easy reference.

[Andrew Lord · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, the lack of detail was off-putting. After awhile, though, I realized that the point of this book is to merely give an extremely brief overview of the Crusades. Since that was the clear goal, upon reading it my response is "mission accomplished." A great introduction to the topic, for sure.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good for fast history lesson on the players and places of the crusades for the Byzantine Empire and Holy Lands 1096-1204 AD.

[CAMERON · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly enlightening for a "Pocket" guide.

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short and easy introduction to the study of the Crusades. But it has to be stressed that this can only serve as an introduction - the number of pages alone should show that I'm right on this.