The First Crusade: A New History
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Trade in The First Crusade: A New History for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Plus, get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
FINANCIAL TIMES
'Stunning'
GUARDIAN
'A taut, clear and exciting narrative, which also manages to convey the best of modern Crusader scholarship'
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Weathered by a thousand years of human history, Christian attitudes to violence had undergone an incremental but drastic transformation. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Weathered by a thousand years of human history, Christian attitudes to violence had undergone an incremental but drastic transformation. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A first class example of a professional historian writing for theintelligent general reader. The book wears its learning lightly butAsbridge is obviously the master of his subject, and the book reallybenefits from the fact that the author has himself covered a lot of thecrusade route on foot. The sieges and battles are well described but thereal achievement here is bringing the characters to life and explaininghow this amazing event set the tone for so much of what informs our worldtoday. Recommended!
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Avarice. Prejudice. Betrayal. Murder. The spirit of the First Crusade often appears as an antidote to modern Christian values. The author correctly identifies how the historical antagonism between Islamic and Western Worlds owes much to the remarkable band of opportunists who crossed into Byzantium nine hundred years ago. Certainly, you would not have wanted to be an Emir in their path.
It is clear that the author has a passionate appreciation of this remarkable story, resulting in a book that now sits on my shelves alongside Meyer's classic crusade history. The book is well illustrated with relevant pictures and photographs. Those showing Antioch today are particularly worthwhile.
I had forgotten how many bizarre and colourful individuals contributed to this remarkable and savage endeavour. The various sub-plots and motives are carefully presented against a political and religious context that is presented with great clarity. The subsequent combination of fanaticism and hypocrisy results in a compelling narrative, rich in both battle and sometimes comedy. Who could not fail to be amused by the likes of Peter Bartholemew?
I highly recommend this excellent book, which is a superb addition to what is currently available in this area.
It is clear that the author has a passionate appreciation of this remarkable story, resulting in a book that now sits on my shelves alongside Meyer's classic crusade history. The book is well illustrated with relevant pictures and photographs. Those showing Antioch today are particularly worthwhile.
I had forgotten how many bizarre and colourful individuals contributed to this remarkable and savage endeavour. The various sub-plots and motives are carefully presented against a political and religious context that is presented with great clarity. The subsequent combination of fanaticism and hypocrisy results in a compelling narrative, rich in both battle and sometimes comedy. Who could not fail to be amused by the likes of Peter Bartholemew?
I highly recommend this excellent book, which is a superb addition to what is currently available in this area.
Format:Paperback
I've already read Dr Asbridge's excellent work on the history of the crusades, and thought I would follow it up with this book. I am pleased to say the excellent work continues. I found the book to be well written, thoroughly researched, and dare one say it for a book on such a topic, a joy to read.
One of the many joys of this author's works is down to the fact that he takes a complex subject and is able to lay it out in clear, concise terms and not patronising the reader. It is obvious he has a great passion for his subject, and this enhances the reading experience further still.
If asked, I think the thing I liked most about this book was it's even-handedness, inasmuch as the author goes to great pains to explain why the crusaders acted as they did. I didn't feel like there was a white-wash for their behaviour but an explanation of the life and times of these people. It is all too easy to read history through the eyes of the 21st century and quickly dismiss an action as mindless or stupid, but it is important to understand things in context. I would like to add the caveat here that while seeing things in context is necessary, it still does not make the actions any more palatable.
I would happily recommend this book and think it is an excellent insight into the first crusade.
One of the many joys of this author's works is down to the fact that he takes a complex subject and is able to lay it out in clear, concise terms and not patronising the reader. It is obvious he has a great passion for his subject, and this enhances the reading experience further still.
If asked, I think the thing I liked most about this book was it's even-handedness, inasmuch as the author goes to great pains to explain why the crusaders acted as they did. I didn't feel like there was a white-wash for their behaviour but an explanation of the life and times of these people. It is all too easy to read history through the eyes of the 21st century and quickly dismiss an action as mindless or stupid, but it is important to understand things in context. I would like to add the caveat here that while seeing things in context is necessary, it still does not make the actions any more palatable.
I would happily recommend this book and think it is an excellent insight into the first crusade.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
the first crusade
A wonderful book. Very interesting and full of drama and fact, it gives the reader an excelent understanding of life in that time. I will be reading more of Asbridge`s books.
Published 4 months ago by zack
A Good Convincing Read
I don't pretend to be an expert on the Crusades. Reading about and researching them is more of a hobby than anything else. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Angus Blakey
"the cornerstone of this system of belief [medieval Christianity] was...
This is a thoroughly engaging book, perfectly pitched for readers passionate about history, but who aren't necessarily pursuing a PhD. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Sebastian Palmer
Brilliant
Amazing read, very enlightening.
As for the critics, Asbridge does refer to alleged Muslim aggression that prompted retaliation. Read more
As for the critics, Asbridge does refer to alleged Muslim aggression that prompted retaliation. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Robert Kimber
reads just like a novel
if you are interested in reading about the first crusade weather your a student of history or just someone with passing interest then i can't recommend this book enough... Read more
Published 22 months ago by john
The First Crusade: A New History
As a history buff for some fifty years, I am well aware of how selective ommission and tactful use of minor incidents by a clever author, can alter the perception given of any... Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2010 by C. W. Bradbury
Christianity's Holy War
This book by medieval scholar Thomas Ashbridge's is an attempt at a history of the First Crusade (1095-99) that draws on new developments in scholarship to create a narrative that... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2010 by S Wood
Deus Vult!
I knew little about the crusades and was looking for a good over view of the 1st one. If you're not a historical anorak like myself and want a good book on the crusade in a... Read more
Published on 8 Mar 2010 by Jacks
Readable and solid
This book is called 'a new history,' but let's be honest here, the wonderfully named Thomas Asbridge (put an 'of' in between his names and he sounds like an authentic eleventh... Read more
Published on 22 Dec 2009 by Kentspur
Outstanding
History is such a difficult subject to deal with. Too many books provide a colourful tale that lacks historical accuracy, or end up being too dense, being penetrable only by... Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by R. Fernandes
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > World History > 501-1500
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
