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A Brief History of the Crusades: Islam and Christianity in the Struggle for World Supremacy

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Author: Geoffrey Hindley
Publisher: Robinson Publishing
Category: Book

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

5 reviews
Sales Rank: 258258

Media: Paperback
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.9

ISBN: 1841197661
Dewey Decimal Number: 235
EAN: 9781841197661
ASIN: 1841197661

Publication Date: April 30, 2004
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new books, maps and cd's available immediately from a reputable and well rated UK bookseller - not sent from the USA; despatched promptly and reliably worldwide by Royal Mail; some very heavy items may go surface but we email first

Also Available In:

•	Hardcover - The Crusades: A History of Armed Pilgrimage and Holy War

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Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars

Very impressive, but not very charismatic April 29, 2008
Although this book is extremely well researched and outlines the crusades in great detail, I found it read a bit like a book on Mechanical Principles. Whilst appreciating that historians work hard to give a genuine account of what happened, I missed some of the little quirks you get from books, such as 1812, 1453, Attila, Kublai Khan, etc. - the personal experiences and accounts of common foot soldiers, little freak stories, civilian accounts, siege stories, and so on. Although I greatly respect Geoffrey Hindley's work, the book is not as striking as other books I have read by Historians, such as John Man, Roger Crowley, or Adam Zamoyski.

On the other hand if you need facts about the crusades for studies, etc. then this book is a must-read.

4 out of 5 stars

A Short But Enjoyable History September 15, 2007
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

This book, as remarked by the reviewers below is very concise, but what else would a `Brief History Of...' be if anything but?
The book does indeed pre-suppose some knowledge on the readers' part, but this is easily overcome by following Hindley's superb narrative.
One virtually flies through the centuries of conflict, and the key events are expanded upon.
It really is a very good starting point for the beginner, and will encourage the curios to further reading; Runciman's Magnum Opus on the Crusades or Christopher Tyreman's ambitious effort. However, if you do buy this and enjoy it as much as I have, I suggest The First Crusade by Thomas Asbridge as your next port of call.
Further, I would also encourage the reader not to interpret the Crusades in as contemporary sense as other reviewers may suggest, but `enjoy' the period in isolation.

3 out of 5 stars

Not for the beginner April 30, 2007
3 out of 12 found this review helpful

Exceptionally well researched book, and well written too. However, this book assumes a lot of knowledge and is not introductory. As another reviewer has mentioned, characters are constantly introduced and discarded on the fly, with little character development.

If you want a general chronology of events occurring during the crusading period, this book is perfect. However, if you want an in-depth look at the issues driving the constant wars that were faught during this period, this book is at best a starting point.

3 out of 5 stars

Did they ever end ? January 16, 2006
1 out of 10 found this review helpful

Geoffrey Hindley's book helps the general reader to get a foothold to understanding the Crusading phenomemon which began in earnest in the 11th Century and which has never really ended. Outremer/Israel, Saladin/Saddam, Crusades/War Against Terror - is there any real difference ? "The crusades" tries gamely to condense several centuries of intrigue,conquest and reconquest into 250 pages and as a result the reader gets bombarded with a whole series of characters and facts which only get a cursory introduction and explanation before the author moves on rapidly to the next series of events. Open the book at random and a typical paragraph will contain a mind boggling array of names and places for the reader to get his head round. For example on Page 146 alone the following names are listed ; Pietro da Capua, Count Thibaut,Queen Isabella, Henry of Champagne, Conrad of Montferrat, Louis of Blois, Simon de Montfort, Count Baldwin of Flanders, Geoffrey of Villehardouin and Emperor Manuel. None of these people are significant to understanding the course of events in the Crusades and none of them were particularly influential, but the author continually bombards us with lists of these minor figures which only serve to confuse the reader unnecessarily. That said , trying to cover such an immense topic as The Crusades in a few hundred pages is inevitably bound to lead to this type of problem. Hindley's book certainly provided me with a lot of insight into the Crusades , an interest that was awakened in me by the film "Kingdom of Heaven" ,which is based around the time of the Battle of Hattin and Saladin's capture of Jerusalem. This book is best viewed as an introduction to the study of Crusading history, to be followed up with more detailed analysis of the individual Crusades , events , leading figures and institutions of the period. After reading about some of the things that took place in the name of Christianity in this book, I found it hard to believe why the Crusaders would have wanted to bear allegiance to Christ, the "Prince of Peace", who preached forgiveness, love of enemies, submissiveness and non-violence. I wonder how many of them actually read or heard the Gospels ?

4 out of 5 stars

Great intro to Crusades July 22, 2004
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

This is an easy-to-read, concise introduction to The Crusades over the centuries that manages to deal with the main issues in surprising depth. All the main players are here. Maybe there could have been a little bit more info on the battle tactics and a few more maps, but then again, it is a BRIEF history and it does it with panache.

Thankfully, Hindley also refuses to take the simplistic view of some of his peers that Western success was a foregone conclusion - it wasn't.

Definitely recommended for newcomers to the subject.