The Crusades

By: Abigail Archer

Narrated by: Sarah Nichols

Looking into the past, the Crusades seem incomprehensible. What combination of religious fervor, hatred of people of different faiths, and gall led Europeans of AD 1100 to make their way thousands of miles to conquer the Holy Land? Why did they continue for 200 years? How did the Crusades change the world?

The intriguing story is peppered with colorful characters. Over the centuries, this well-researched and written book argues, crusaders saw - and participated in - the evolution of warfare and the transformation of society from feudal fiefdoms to nations and empires. The story of the Crusades is a reminder, too, of the horrors wrought in the name of religion. The Crusades are seen by many Christians today as an exercise in fanaticism, an episode in which the teachings of Christ were used to justify the horrors perpetrated on innocents. That judgment is accurate, but not the whole story.

©2015 Abigail Archer (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Interesting.

Very interesting. A great book to get the back ones of the crusades.

The narrator did a great job too!

Good introduction for study of the Crusades.

A good overview for learning about the Crusades before going into more in-depth research.

Short & Informative

This book provides a basic primer on The Crusades, the motivations, the leaders, and ultimately the outcomes and a resolution. If you're a History major, or one who has extensively studied this period, this book might be a little too basic. If you are looking to get a general introduction or a refresher, this is the book for you.

Short yet informative history of the Crusades

At first it did not keep my attention, but the early material became very helpful. The author interwoven important insights from more disparate components of history, thereby setting the Crusades in a wider context of European history.

Informative

Feel as though it didn’t go as into detail on the atrocities of the crusades as much as it should. Good foot note history of the crusades though, just not as weary of the past as I feel it should be.