Fighting for Christendom: Holy War and the Crusades

by Christopher Tyerman

The image of the Crusaders--chain-mailed knights on horseback, bearing crosses on banners, fighting for their faith under an alien sun--occupies a familiar niche in modern western culture. Yet despite their powerful hold on our imaginations, the Crusades remain obscured and distorted by time.
In Fighting for Christendom , Christopher Tyerman picks his way through many myths and misconceptions to present a vivid portrait of the Crusades, both the historical events themselves and their posthumous role in Western and Middle Eastern thought. Were the Crusaders motivated by spiritual
rewards, or by greed for power and wealth? Was the papacy imposing order and uniformity on Christendom, or defending itself from the infidel enemy? Were the Crusades an experiment in European colonialism, or a manifestation of religious persecution or ethnic cleansing? To answer these questions,
Tyerman examines the many military operations between 1095 and 1500 that fall under the heading of Wars of the Cross. Beginning with Pope Urban II's dramatic appeal in 1095, Tyerman ranges from the First Crusade--a campaign unrivalled in impact--to the massive expedition lead by Frederick Barbarossa
(which ended suddenly when he drowned crossing a river), to the crusade that pitted King Richard I of England against Saladin. Tyerman also discusses lesser expeditions, including the Peasants', Children's, and Shepherds' Crusades. Throughout the book, he clarifies issues of colonialism, cultural
exchange, economic exploitation, and the relationship between past and present.
The Crusades are among the most dramatic mass movements in world history. Fighting for Christendom illuminates these remarkable events with uncommon flair and originality.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Medieval History, Military Fiction

264 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2004

About the author

Christopher Tyerman is professor of the history of the crusades at Oxford University and a fellow of Hertford College. His books include God’s War, The Debate on the Crusades, and How to Plan a Crusade. He lives in Oxford.

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Tyerman knows a GREAT DEAL about the Crusades. He has obviously been educating people about the Crusades for a long while. The overall tone of his writing in THIS book is one of exasperation (such as…”I’ve been telling you this for years and you’re still not listening to me!!”). I completely empathize with him, but I’m just starting to delve deeper into my (very) limited knowledge of the Crusades. This is an informative explanation of the social, cultural, and economic REASONS behind the Crusades rather than an historical guide through them. Academic and snarky, I recommend this book but not as an introduction to the Crusades.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave me good information about the 4th crusade for my paper.

[Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

De los mejores libros sobre las cruzadas que he tenido el privilegio de leer. El resumen del proceso, los debates historiográficos y la contemporaneidad de las construcciones discursivas basadas en las "guerras de Dios" es sensacional.
La obra de Tyerman es fundamental para todo interesado en las cruzadas, y este libro funciona como puerta de entrada a su magnum opus, Las guerras de Dios: Una nueva historia de las Cruzadas.

[Jacob Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great overview of The Crusades and how The Crusades have been represented and misrepresented over the centuries.

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content is unimpeachably solid but something continued to bug me about the delivery ... eventually I realised it was the tone. The author was undoubtedly going for the dispassionate, magisterial air that historians love, but far too often this came across as simply sneering. People and events were referenced and elided rather than confronted; the author positioned himself at an elevated distance and simply pontificated from above. There was no sense of humility for the unknown, or empathy for a different time. It felt like a tour of a magnificent castle by a jaded groundskeeper who swished his hand across tantalising glimpses of rooms and corridors and muttered, "such hubris!"

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Tyerman challenges some modern conceptions of the Crusades, including the idea that the holy warriors were a precursor to later colonizers, and that modern conflicts that might have some religious significance are an echoing of the Crusades.

[Vortal Combat · Rating 4 out of 5]

На моменти е трудно за разбиране, но е едно достатъчно задълбочено и интересно проучване на кръстоносните походи.

[Rodolfo Hernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente resumen para comprender de forma genérica el fenómeno de las Cruzadas. El autor es uno de las más reconocidos historiadores de la materia. El libro lo tiene dividido de la siguiente forma: comienza explicando lo que fueron las Cruzadas, luego las causas y consecuencias del fenómeno. Interesante al momento de hablar de lo que fueron las Cruzadas, cómo fue un movimiento mucho mayor al que habitualmente conocemos; de cómo inicio ese movimiento con la Reconquista de los reinos moros en Hispania, o la evangelización de los países Bálticos. Se reconoce el dominio de la materia al autor pero también conviene hacer notar que el autor carece de un sentido sobrenatural de los eventos lo cual facilita de alguna manera a entender mejor las Cruzadas. También realiza unas conclusiones sobre el modo de interpretar las Sagradas Escrituras de las cuales no es del todo acertado.

[Joro · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting if quick read. It's hard to form and defend an opinion (in >300 small format pages) about events that encompass around 500 years of history. However Tyerman has an interesting look on the period and the way it continues to influence the East and West today.
I didn't expect the author to show such passion on certain matters from the history of 20th century Europe. Then again I didn't feel that Tyerman took a side while doing his research and writin his book but if he showed such unbalanced opinions about certain things then that makes me wonder if I missed something.
The last sentence concluded the book in a perfectly good way so I closed it with a positive impression.

[Natalie Coffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent (though general) overview of the crusades and the misconstrued interpretations that tend to permeate modern rhetoric.