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Crusaders

An Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands

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Crusaders

By: Dan Jones
Narrated by: Dan Jones
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Dan Jones, best-selling chronicler of the Middle Ages, turns his attention to the history of the Crusades - the sequence of religious wars fought between the late 11th century and late medieval periods, in which armies from European Christian states attempted to wrest the Holy Land from Islamic rule, and which have left an enduring imprint on relations between the Muslim world and the West.

From the preaching of the First Crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095 to the loss of the last crusader outpost in the Levant in 1302-03, and from the taking of Jerusalem from the Fatimids in 1099 to the fall of Acre to the Mamluks in 1291, Crusaders tells a tale soaked in Islamic, Christian and Jewish blood, peopled by extraordinary characters, and characterised by both low ambition and high principle.

Dan Jones is a master of popular narrative history, with the priceless ability to write page-turning narrative history underpinned by authoritative scholarship. Never before has the era of the Crusades been depicted in such bright and striking colours, or their story told with such gusto.

©2019 Dan Jones (P)2019 Head of Zeus Christianity Europe Islam Medieval Middle East Middle Ages Crusade Imperialism Ottoman Empire Africa
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Enjoyable, a little light on detail (I had hoped for a more in depth history) but a good overview, let down by the authors excreceable decision to use "Byzantine" at every agonising, jarring moment. NO. WRONG. GERMAN PROPAGANDA. Romans. The people of the Eastern Roman Empire were Romans. Their Emperors were Roman Emperors. Their government was the Roman state, their lands, Romania (or Roman territory).

Excellent

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My daughter is studying the Crusades so I thought it would be helpful to gen up. I wanted a readable account of this period and I identified 'Crusaders: An Epic History Of The Wars For The Holy Lands'. This is the first book I have read by Dan Jones, but not the last.

I was ignorant about much of what had taken place during nearly 200 years of very bloody history - and what a fascinating period it is. 'Crusaders: An Epic History Of The Wars For The Holy Lands' provides a perfect whistlestop tour and is also, somewhat suprisingly, quite the page turner.

From Pope Urban's initial call to defend Christians in Constantinople, I was amazed to discover how broad the geographical and religious definition became of what constituted a crusade. Anyone could purge their sins by spilling the blood of anyone identified as others, even fellow Christians or those not paying their tithes.

'Crusaders: An Epic History Of The Wars For The Holy Lands' is clearly impeccably researched and yet the scholarship does not slow down a thoroughly entertaining account peopled by colourful historical characters of all genders and faiths.

Entertaining and instructive

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This is a very detailed description of the Crusades and gives you an insight into the very nature of the people who took leading roles in them. It also includes the attitudes of the people today and the impact it still has on their perception of the people of both east and west.

living the Crusades

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An interesting book full of facts and information but at the same time easily digestible for an amateur historian like myself. The author is also the narrator and he does it with style, at the right pace and tempo. Driving round the countryside, delivering wine was made all the more enjoyable while listening to this, plus the add bonus is that you are learning at the same time. Well done Mr Jones - thank you and I will be buying more of your books!

Informative and well read

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Dan Jones’s narrative skill comes to the fore brilliantly as he pulls together the threads of a complex and at times confusing historiography that runs from the 11th century to the present day. In my view, he lacks only in his skills as an actor when citing directly from the primary sources. Nevertheless, this book is a fine accomplishment and is wholeheartedly recommended to any student of the Middle Ages.

A sweepingly thorough and compelling retelling of the Crusader story

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