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Crusades: The Illustrated History
An important, richly illustrated account of the struggle between Christianity and Islam in the Near East, and an essential guide to understanding many modern-day conflicts, from the Balkans and Lebanon to Palestine and the War on Terror
". . . the ideal volume for anyone with a desire to know more about the struggle between Christianity and Islam in the Near East. . . . Beautifully illustrated, this informative guide to the major Crusades not only clearly defines the conflict and traces the individual campaigns but also places in context the historical roots of the 21st century tensions between Islam and the West."
--- Monterey County Herald
"The book is a model of organization and pertinent illustration, with maps, sidebars, a chronology and an accessible bibliography. Given so fine and comprehensive an introduction, readers are likely to turn to the classic prose narratives, both Christian and Islamic. They will also have a new appreciation of the current Christian-Islamic conflict and its many roots."
--- ForeWord
"[ Crusades ] is attractively illustrated and has a great number of boxes and sidebars offering a more detailed examination of people and events that are mentioned in the main text. A useful introduction to the subject for students and interested readers alike, [and] a fine addition to both public and academic libraries."
--- Library Journal
* Includes more than 150 photographs, maps, and specially commissioned artworks, all in full color
* With special features on a variety of key topics, from Jerusalem: City of Holy Places to the Glories of the Ottoman Empire
". . . the ideal volume for anyone with a desire to know more about the struggle between Christianity and Islam in the Near East. . . . Beautifully illustrated, this informative guide to the major Crusades not only clearly defines the conflict and traces the individual campaigns but also places in context the historical roots of the 21st century tensions between Islam and the West."
--- Monterey County Herald
"The book is a model of organization and pertinent illustration, with maps, sidebars, a chronology and an accessible bibliography. Given so fine and comprehensive an introduction, readers are likely to turn to the classic prose narratives, both Christian and Islamic. They will also have a new appreciation of the current Christian-Islamic conflict and its many roots."
--- ForeWord
"[ Crusades ] is attractively illustrated and has a great number of boxes and sidebars offering a more detailed examination of people and events that are mentioned in the main text. A useful introduction to the subject for students and interested readers alike, [and] a fine addition to both public and academic libraries."
--- Library Journal
* Includes more than 150 photographs, maps, and specially commissioned artworks, all in full color
* With special features on a variety of key topics, from Jerusalem: City of Holy Places to the Glories of the Ottoman Empire
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
9 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Thomas F. Madden
36books153followersThomas F. Madden (born 1960) is an American historian, the Chair of the History Department at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Director of Saint Louis University's Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
He is considered one of the foremost historians of the Crusades in the United States. He has frequently appeared in the media, as a consultant for various programs on the History Channel and National Public Radio.
In 2007, he was awarded the Haskins Medal from the Medieval Academy of America, for his book Enrico Dandolo and the Rise of Venice, which was also a "Book of the Month" selection by the BBC History magazine.
He is considered one of the foremost historians of the Crusades in the United States. He has frequently appeared in the media, as a consultant for various programs on the History Channel and National Public Radio.
In 2007, he was awarded the Haskins Medal from the Medieval Academy of America, for his book Enrico Dandolo and the Rise of Venice, which was also a "Book of the Month" selection by the BBC History magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 26, 2014
Religion is the power that wields the sword that is faith.
The Crusades are seemingly anomalous in nature which however, save for the rai·son d'être that is still under great contention, was like any other war waged in the history of men: devoid of mercy, riddled with corruption and which ended in mutual defeat and further enmity if not in destruction. There is inherent difficulty in reconciling the Christian doctrine that emphasizes the value of life beyond any measure to those of taking it under the claims of being sanctioned by God, if ever it truly was. And by this inquiry a further irony is revealed that one has to have faith with God, the Church and Religion to question such disposition. This is why the crusades have such proclivity towards disquisition with scholars and laymen alike.
Let me start by saying what Madden's work is not. At an entire 228 pages, including the illustrations, explanatory boxes, sidebars and chronology, one can accurately deduct, even foresee, what the book contains and to what extent it manages the historical narrative of the Crusades. One who desires to be well versed in the history of the Crusades should think about picking this book up. It is not a historical book brimful of historical discourses nor is it chockfull of the rationalization for such discourses. It too lack the further essential milieu existing in derivative albeit vital events of the era. However, it should be the first book that one who desires to be well versed in the history of the Crusades should pick up, INITIALLY.
This is because Madden's book is a concise historical work, aspiring to provide a broad overview of the Crusades. Works such as Madden's are characterized by broadness in trying to present every facet of the narrative and yet they too are distinguished by the brevity at which they delve into each facet. One can say that the particular design books of such kind address is providing laymen with an outline of events and basic knowledge of the subject.
The dilemma of books of this kind is that they are presenting a convoluted and sophisticated narrative intricately entangled with man's history as simple and as concise as possible (with the use of these adjectives I feel I could not further improved on emphasizing my point). More essential to this argument is that books are written in the writer's perspective and it is he/she that determines the pivotal points in the historical narrative to include. Differences inevitably arise between works, but more importantly, the reader's interest falls into a deadlock (of which i pray should not happen, once is too much in this occasion) encountering a point in the narrative that is mentioned only in passing but is seemingly vital to the reader's conscious reasoning in understanding the very narrative itself.
Further consideration is, and this is true not only with Madden's work, the volume by which the people and events are mentioned are taxing. This is also because the persona of the individuals involved does not create a connection, relation, or mark in passing mention, just as the events do not leave an impression. A pedigree would greatly help. Also a map for every vital period within the narrative, as these are limited in the work, would be a revelation.
A caveat however is needed. The perspective from where this is review is written is apparent. I would not relegate the work into failure even how much it would seem the words are couch in the negative. I picked up the book out of sheer curiosity of the illustrations inside. Critically speaking, the book did present the Crusade's narrative as objectively as possible save on one or two occasions where Madden claimed support for his thesis.
I have yet to compare the illustrations (composed of photos of ruins and relics complimented by the paintings of the era) to other books constituting of the same composition. As it stands, The included illustrations are visually pleasing, well detailed and I might say, well selected by virtue of their relevance and bearing with the discussions presented.
The Crusades are seemingly anomalous in nature which however, save for the rai·son d'être that is still under great contention, was like any other war waged in the history of men: devoid of mercy, riddled with corruption and which ended in mutual defeat and further enmity if not in destruction. There is inherent difficulty in reconciling the Christian doctrine that emphasizes the value of life beyond any measure to those of taking it under the claims of being sanctioned by God, if ever it truly was. And by this inquiry a further irony is revealed that one has to have faith with God, the Church and Religion to question such disposition. This is why the crusades have such proclivity towards disquisition with scholars and laymen alike.
Let me start by saying what Madden's work is not. At an entire 228 pages, including the illustrations, explanatory boxes, sidebars and chronology, one can accurately deduct, even foresee, what the book contains and to what extent it manages the historical narrative of the Crusades. One who desires to be well versed in the history of the Crusades should think about picking this book up. It is not a historical book brimful of historical discourses nor is it chockfull of the rationalization for such discourses. It too lack the further essential milieu existing in derivative albeit vital events of the era. However, it should be the first book that one who desires to be well versed in the history of the Crusades should pick up, INITIALLY.
This is because Madden's book is a concise historical work, aspiring to provide a broad overview of the Crusades. Works such as Madden's are characterized by broadness in trying to present every facet of the narrative and yet they too are distinguished by the brevity at which they delve into each facet. One can say that the particular design books of such kind address is providing laymen with an outline of events and basic knowledge of the subject.
The dilemma of books of this kind is that they are presenting a convoluted and sophisticated narrative intricately entangled with man's history as simple and as concise as possible (with the use of these adjectives I feel I could not further improved on emphasizing my point). More essential to this argument is that books are written in the writer's perspective and it is he/she that determines the pivotal points in the historical narrative to include. Differences inevitably arise between works, but more importantly, the reader's interest falls into a deadlock (of which i pray should not happen, once is too much in this occasion) encountering a point in the narrative that is mentioned only in passing but is seemingly vital to the reader's conscious reasoning in understanding the very narrative itself.
Further consideration is, and this is true not only with Madden's work, the volume by which the people and events are mentioned are taxing. This is also because the persona of the individuals involved does not create a connection, relation, or mark in passing mention, just as the events do not leave an impression. A pedigree would greatly help. Also a map for every vital period within the narrative, as these are limited in the work, would be a revelation.
A caveat however is needed. The perspective from where this is review is written is apparent. I would not relegate the work into failure even how much it would seem the words are couch in the negative. I picked up the book out of sheer curiosity of the illustrations inside. Critically speaking, the book did present the Crusade's narrative as objectively as possible save on one or two occasions where Madden claimed support for his thesis.
I have yet to compare the illustrations (composed of photos of ruins and relics complimented by the paintings of the era) to other books constituting of the same composition. As it stands, The included illustrations are visually pleasing, well detailed and I might say, well selected by virtue of their relevance and bearing with the discussions presented.
July 10, 2019
من ترجمه آقای پرویز دلیرپور رو خوندم.
کتاب خوبیه تاریخ جنگ های صلیبی رو بصورت فشرده شرح میده. برای کسی که تا حالا چیزی تو این حوزه نخونده مناسبه.
اسم کتابم اینه جنگ های صلیبی شرحی بر طولانی ترین جنگ های مذهبی جهان
کتاب خوبیه تاریخ جنگ های صلیبی رو بصورت فشرده شرح میده. برای کسی که تا حالا چیزی تو این حوزه نخونده مناسبه.
اسم کتابم اینه جنگ های صلیبی شرحی بر طولانی ترین جنگ های مذهبی جهان
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January 8, 2016
All I know about the Crusades is from the game Stronghold. Whilst not a reliable source, it was accurate and I felt I could appreciate the book more with that small amount of knowledge. Plus any book with pictures is going to win.
January 31, 2015
Seems to be a generalist approach.
Excellent writing. Short, concise, yet informative, and of course it does not fail to mention historiographical problems of the study of crusades.
Excellent writing. Short, concise, yet informative, and of course it does not fail to mention historiographical problems of the study of crusades.
August 16, 2018
A broad and fairly detailed history of the crusades. Lots of pretty pictures and intelligent insight into the times, and the author discusses the effects the crusades have had on the world all the way up to the modern day.
The main qualm I have with this book is that the author spent about the same amount of time on major crusades as he did the minor crusades. This made the more interesting parts of the book fly by too quickly, and it made the less interesting parts seem to drag on.
The main qualm I have with this book is that the author spent about the same amount of time on major crusades as he did the minor crusades. This made the more interesting parts of the book fly by too quickly, and it made the less interesting parts seem to drag on.
January 7, 2010
I rather like Larry Gonnick's Crusades history, which is more interesting and humorous in the telling.
January 27, 2013
I always like to have a "light" history or art book going. This book finally gave me a sense of the Crusades as a whole. Lovely illustrations.
June 30, 2020
Edited by Thomas Madden, this coffee-table-sized book brings a richness of artifact, illustration, and photography to a concise, general overview of the Crusades as a whole. By asking specialists in particular crusades to take charge of specific chapters, Madden chose authority over an even voice in the storytelling. The unevenness isn't jarring, but just enough to remind you that some people who have dedicated their lives to studying the Crusades can still sometimes seem to understand and portray parts of the Crusades in overly simplistic terms. I think this would be a beautiful gift for anyone with an interest in Crusading history or Medieval history in general.
The book's title is instructive as well. By referring to "Crusades" in general rather than "The Crusades" specifically, Madden frees himself to also include the Reconquista in Spain, which was most definitely a Crusade, but not part of the Crusades in the Levant.
(from a sidebar) "Modern research suggests that the Inquisition's popular reputation for harshness derives largely from Protestant (specifically Dutch and English) propaganda. In fact the Inquisition, which still exists, was probably the most humane and merciful tribunal in medieval Europe." (p. 134)
"The story of the fall of Acre, which ended the crusader presence on the mainland of Palestine and Syria, is anticlimactic. In the West, almost nothing had been done to stave off its final demise. Why, after two centuries of Christian commitment to the crusade, did the final act ring down with such small clamor? The answer probably lies in the fact that most westerners had already adjusted to the loss of the Holy Land, seemingly accepting it as inevitable. For many, the reason for its loss lay in the sins of Christians and conflicts within the Christian ranks." (p. 171)
The book's title is instructive as well. By referring to "Crusades" in general rather than "The Crusades" specifically, Madden frees himself to also include the Reconquista in Spain, which was most definitely a Crusade, but not part of the Crusades in the Levant.
(from a sidebar) "Modern research suggests that the Inquisition's popular reputation for harshness derives largely from Protestant (specifically Dutch and English) propaganda. In fact the Inquisition, which still exists, was probably the most humane and merciful tribunal in medieval Europe." (p. 134)
"The story of the fall of Acre, which ended the crusader presence on the mainland of Palestine and Syria, is anticlimactic. In the West, almost nothing had been done to stave off its final demise. Why, after two centuries of Christian commitment to the crusade, did the final act ring down with such small clamor? The answer probably lies in the fact that most westerners had already adjusted to the loss of the Holy Land, seemingly accepting it as inevitable. For many, the reason for its loss lay in the sins of Christians and conflicts within the Christian ranks." (p. 171)
January 15, 2024
A horrifying apologist account of the crusades- this large illustrated book draws readers in with its somewhat gradeschool textbook layout and attractive images, but the author does some dishonest revisions of history throughout, claiming that the schism of the east and west churches wasn't so bad and insists they got along fine, and that the terrible things the crusaders did weren't all that bad. I couldn't keep track of all of the ridiculous claims that favored the crusaders.
In one of the worst sections titled "The massacre of 1099: Myth and Reality", the author tries to paint the slaughter of the inhabitants of Jerusalem by the crusaders as being not so bad for its victims, trying everything from claiming that Muslim sources exaggerated the events, that plenty of Jews were captured (and surely didn't have their roofs burned over their heads as Tancred did) in addition to being killed, and claiming that the slaughter must "be seen in the context of the age", blaming the inhabitants for not surrendering early enough, and justifying their deaths by saying they were rightfully "at mercy" to the victors as they plundered the city. The last sentence of this awful apologist account states that the fall of Jerusalem to the crusaders "was certainly accompanied by terrible bloodshed, but not by all the imaged horrors of later generations."
Well, there you have it folks- this author just doesn't think that one of the worst slaughters in the first crusade just was all that bad- and even if it was that bad, they deserved it! You can bet that this author doesn't make the same excuses for Muslim slaughters of crusader cities in this book. This is nothing more than a modern work that perpetuates an outdated and biased narrative of the crusades.
In one of the worst sections titled "The massacre of 1099: Myth and Reality", the author tries to paint the slaughter of the inhabitants of Jerusalem by the crusaders as being not so bad for its victims, trying everything from claiming that Muslim sources exaggerated the events, that plenty of Jews were captured (and surely didn't have their roofs burned over their heads as Tancred did) in addition to being killed, and claiming that the slaughter must "be seen in the context of the age", blaming the inhabitants for not surrendering early enough, and justifying their deaths by saying they were rightfully "at mercy" to the victors as they plundered the city. The last sentence of this awful apologist account states that the fall of Jerusalem to the crusaders "was certainly accompanied by terrible bloodshed, but not by all the imaged horrors of later generations."
Well, there you have it folks- this author just doesn't think that one of the worst slaughters in the first crusade just was all that bad- and even if it was that bad, they deserved it! You can bet that this author doesn't make the same excuses for Muslim slaughters of crusader cities in this book. This is nothing more than a modern work that perpetuates an outdated and biased narrative of the crusades.
February 7, 2021
Crusades:The illustrated History-Christendom,Islam,Pilgrimage,War
Duncan Baird Publishers (October 14, 2004)ISBN-10: 1844830403
A surprisingly Evenhanded and well-written history of the crusades,No Anti-Christian Bias or Anti-Pope/AntiClerical propaganda. With pictures and illustrations from all sides,Christians,Islam,The Turks.It is so nice to read FACTS and not some Author's bias and revisionist history.The Crusades were fought by Man Not Christ therefore The Church(Catholic) Cannot be held responsible for things Man has done,we all sin.Compared to The Communist purges,Over 30 million approx. by Stalin and Over 60 million and counting by Mao,The Crusades appeared little in comparison.Although the author briefly mentions but does not delve into the Many Protestant Crusades especially burning witches at the stake by Our Quaker/Pilgrim Protestant Ancestors nor of the many in Europe by the Crazed Calvinists among many other sects including Luther's(Today most modern counterparts are Labeled Falsely "Christian" or Born Again) In many ways the Crusades as the Author concludes still lingers on taken for granted by one side or the other whether with Barbaric Islamist Extremists or Secularists the battle of ideas always rages on.I would Recommend along with this the book; God's Battalions by Rodney Stark and Thomas F Woods "How the Catholic Church helped Built Western Civilization" as Well as H.W. Crocker's "Triumph".
Duncan Baird Publishers (October 14, 2004)ISBN-10: 1844830403
A surprisingly Evenhanded and well-written history of the crusades,No Anti-Christian Bias or Anti-Pope/AntiClerical propaganda. With pictures and illustrations from all sides,Christians,Islam,The Turks.It is so nice to read FACTS and not some Author's bias and revisionist history.The Crusades were fought by Man Not Christ therefore The Church(Catholic) Cannot be held responsible for things Man has done,we all sin.Compared to The Communist purges,Over 30 million approx. by Stalin and Over 60 million and counting by Mao,The Crusades appeared little in comparison.Although the author briefly mentions but does not delve into the Many Protestant Crusades especially burning witches at the stake by Our Quaker/Pilgrim Protestant Ancestors nor of the many in Europe by the Crazed Calvinists among many other sects including Luther's(Today most modern counterparts are Labeled Falsely "Christian" or Born Again) In many ways the Crusades as the Author concludes still lingers on taken for granted by one side or the other whether with Barbaric Islamist Extremists or Secularists the battle of ideas always rages on.I would Recommend along with this the book; God's Battalions by Rodney Stark and Thomas F Woods "How the Catholic Church helped Built Western Civilization" as Well as H.W. Crocker's "Triumph".
March 1, 2021
Good enough for what it was -- a concise compendium are articles comprising a history of the Crusades. Lots of facts, with little narrative flow, so needs to be read in small chunks. Better as a reference guide. Was quite informative.
September 22, 2017
Don't really remember this one
December 9, 2017
A pretty biased account of the crusades but overall, historically accurate and complete with lots of pretty pictures to boot
July 1, 2021
This book is neither a defence of nor a harsh critique of the Crusades. It simply lays out the historical facts as they are. The pictures are also quite enjoyable to look at.
March 16, 2014
While not a detailed history of the crusades, I quite enjoyed this overall view covering from the first through the 6th (and later) crusades. The 'later' items were considered crusades from the point of view of being against splinter or offshoot christian groups as the reformation began in earnest. I hadn't considered that and still consider those types of conflict to be more 'within' the christian church rather than 'between' Christianity and Islam which is for me the classic definition of 'the crusades'. Even so, I thought the suggested connection was worth considering.
October 29, 2013
This is an amazingly compact history of 500 years of medieval history. In some ways, it was too compact, with really small type. Otherwise, very fascinating read worth your time if you are a student of the era. Also, a very important topic to understand the historical references that drive some of the Islamic animus towards the Western world even today.
September 13, 2009
Good broad overview with a varied perspective and visually beautiful.
August 15, 2015
A short, adequate and well illustrated book about the histories of the Crusades.
October 6, 2015
A nicely illustrated history showing a variety of things for your enlightenment.
September 16, 2009
Really good illustrated History of the Crusades.
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