The Crusades: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Christopher Tyerman (PDF)

Description

Crusading fervour gripped Europe for over 200 years, creating one of the most extraordinary, vivid episodes in world history. Whether the Crusades are regarded as the most romantic of Christian expeditions, or the last of the barbarian invasions, they have fascinated generations ever since, and their legacy of ideas and imagery has resonated through the centuries, inspiring Hollywood movies and great works of literature. Even today, to invoke the Crusades is tostir deep cultural myths, assumptions and prejudices.Yet despite their powerful hold on our imaginations, our knowledge of them remains obscured an distorted by time. Were the Crusaders motivated by spiritual rewards, or by greed? Were the Crusades an experiment in European colonialism, or a manifestation of religious love? How were they organized and founded?With customary flair and originality, Christopher Tyerman picks his way through the many debates to present a clear and lively discussion of the Crusades; bringing together issues of colonialism, cultural exchange, economic exploitation, and the relationship between past and present.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Tyerman’s short introduction to the crusades provides a brief overview of the events and major theatres of the crusade, at the same time he relates detailed specifics and anecdotal stories. I enjoyed reading his book, and found it to be a good balance of detail with general broad definitions. One of Tyerman’s reasons for writing the book is to correct many of the images that people have in their minds of the “crusader.” He debunk’s the Romantic views, armoured knights were not riding around on horses defeating every foe they came across. He also dispels the lust for plunder; younger sons were not running off to the Holy Land to make their fortunes. Most people who ‘took the Cross’ invested huge sums of money and resources to be able to make the trip. Crusades were not a get rich quick operation. He is very careful to stress that religious devotion and penitential aspects were the main motivations for Europeans to go on crusade, either in the Middle East, Spain or the Baltic.Tyerman gave a nice brief outline of what happened in each of the major Crusades, categorizing them by geographic locations. The timeline and subject jumps around a bit, but isn’t that hard to follow. I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a basic understanding of what happened in the Crusades. Tyerman did a good job of making the Crusades understandable and he did a good job of undoing some negative but persistent stereotypes that have existed for a while. I’ve read a couple of books in the A Very Short Introduction series and these books seem to be relatively short, easily accessible, yet detailed and specific enough to give the reader a general understanding of the topic. Tyerman does just that.

⭐Part of the continuing fascination with the Crusades is due to the belief that we are still fighting them, that they precipitated a Christian/Islamic conflict in which we are still caught up. Truth tends to be much more complex and multi-layered than myth, which is indeed why we prefer the latter. But if you would like to get at the former, Tyerman’s book is a good place to start. The most important lessons are to do with scope and context. The Crusades were much more than a series of military expeditions by Europeans to the Holy Land, they lasted for far longer than the two centuries we usually credit them with, and the wars between Christian and Islamic nations had older and deeper roots. Nor are their consequences widely understood. As this book makes clear, the Crusades had far more impact on Europe, and far less on the Near East, than is usually thought.This Very Short Introduction is actually a reprint of Tyerman’s hardback Fighting for Christendom (used, cheap copies of which, at the time of writing this review, are still available on Amazon, so you might want to check that out). One consequence is that, at 150 pages, it’s longer than most in the series. Also, I think they must have simply shrunk the illustrations to fit on the page, so that you need a magnifying glass to read some of the maps.The early chapters give an excellent overview of the subject. The later chapters, examining the impact and significance of the Crusades, and being therefore more interpretive, are somewhat heavy going at times. The author’s style is good, but may be slightly too academic for some readers. And he is occasionally prone to colorful moral judgments, such as when he talks of Himmler’s ‘historically illiterate ghouls’ relying on ‘rancid imagination’. I may well share this view, but I will arrive at it myself, thank you very much.This remains an excellent introduction to a hugely important subject, and is a worthy addition to the series.

⭐If you like rambling lists of names and dates, then this book is for you. I read the first third, then gave up, and I came away with almost no knowledge. For those interested in the story part of history (you know, the part where you actually learned what happened), give this book a pass.

⭐This book is aimed at people who want to understand the subject but aren’t fascinated by it. The various Crusades are put into their relatively mundane context in a direct, factual way that counters the hysteria, anger and perpetual resentment that subject raises in some quarters.

⭐Love it! The authors of the Very Short Introduction books do a great job, if done slightly dry, of laying out a quick-guide to whatever subject you’d like an overview of! Definately recommended if you are in to life-long learning.

⭐It is exactly as advertised: a short introduction. An easy and quick read which makes you want to learn more.

⭐Good little booklet, and came on time.

⭐Good.

⭐Terrible. Content aside, the English in this book is appalling. Sentences spanning 9 lines, and overly verbose. Reads like the ramblings of a tavern drunk. His editor should be fired. An ‘Introduction to ‘ book should be a gateway to every audience from the casual reader to the established historian. The brief here should be to make this subject accessible. Failed miserably.Far better introductions can be found elsewhere.

⭐Ok

⭐For a very short introduction this is packed with details, interesting observations and shines light on lots of current issues with skill.

⭐This book provided me with a brilliant view on the Crusades and explained everything clearly and was an easy read.

⭐good basic background

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