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De eerste kruistocht: de oorsprong van het conflict tussen islam en christendom by Thomas Asbridge
jacksinderby's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Great insight into the first crusade, offering a wide array of perspectives not always identified by other historians
siria's review against another edition
3.0
Asbridge is himself an academic, but in The First Crusade he is writing firmly in the popular history mold. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and as an introduction to the topic it's quite serviceable. He covers the main points of the First Crusade—which took place from 1096 to 1099—at a fast clip and with an eye for an engaging anecdote. I found some of his introductory and concluding analysis a little overblown, however, and with a tendency to make claims that I couldn't quite buy into, seemingly for the sake of sounding more dramatic or academically sexy. (Also, the sooner that popular history books stop using the word 'feudal', the easier that historians' jobs will be.) For my taste, the focus of the book was also a little too much on military history at the expense of the social, cultural and religious upheaval occasioned by the Crusades. Still, I'd recommend the book to a layperson looking for a place to start on the subject but isn't quite willing to face Runciman.
frasmcm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
5.0
emiloudly's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great introduction to the Crusades. Everything is made very clear and interesting. Not only does Asbridge provide a lot of historical background, he dispels a lot of myths about the most successful Crusade and provides glossaries, a cast of characters, and a timeline. It was a very good read, considering I don't read a lot of historical nonfiction, and I'm excited to read his other books on the Crusades. If you're interested in this time period, definitely pick this up.
silverthane's review against another edition
3.0
This book is excellent, written in a simple, easily accessable way and I recommend it to anyone even vaguely interested in the Crusades.
All of the Crusades were bloody affairs with terrible atrosities committed on both sides. The mentallity of Medieval Christians from the lowest peasant to the highest Lord is illustrated in surprising detail and there are plenty of pictures both of medieval imagery and photos of Jerusalem and Crusader forts
My only critisim is that the book can at times heavily criticise the Christians of the period and not the Muslims. Although it was the Christians who instigated the Crusades it was partly in response to crimes that had been committed by Muslims against Christian Pilgrims in Jerusalem.
The author does also have a habit of stating his own opinions as solid fact when often there is no way of proving his views one way or another.
Still despite this it is a book that is well worth reading and can teach alot.
All of the Crusades were bloody affairs with terrible atrosities committed on both sides. The mentallity of Medieval Christians from the lowest peasant to the highest Lord is illustrated in surprising detail and there are plenty of pictures both of medieval imagery and photos of Jerusalem and Crusader forts
My only critisim is that the book can at times heavily criticise the Christians of the period and not the Muslims. Although it was the Christians who instigated the Crusades it was partly in response to crimes that had been committed by Muslims against Christian Pilgrims in Jerusalem.
The author does also have a habit of stating his own opinions as solid fact when often there is no way of proving his views one way or another.
Still despite this it is a book that is well worth reading and can teach alot.