A Brief History of the Crusades
Many people saw the Crusades as pilgrimages, many believed they were doing the will of God, and many too went for the booty. This was an institution that for more than five centuries punctuated European history, troubled Christian consciences and embittered Muslim attitudes towards the West.
Geoffrey Hindley takes us from the Middle East and Muslim Spain to the pagan Baltic when Crusaders reclaimed or extended Europe's frontiers, and offers lively portraits of major personalities who took part, from Godfrey of Bouillon, the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem, to Etienne the visionary French peasant boy who inspired the tragic 'Children's Crusade'."
Addressing aspects rarely considered, Hindley's penetrating study sheds light on some of the most pressing issues of religious division and shows how the Crusades helped to shape Europe, the modern world and relations between Christian and Muslim countries to this day.
The word "crusade" had not yet been invented when the European Christians captured Jerusalem in 1099, or when Richard the Lionhearted faced Saladin. In this absorbing and informative new book, medieval scholar Geoffrey Hindley recounts the colorful history behind the word that for more than five centuries has perturbed European history, troubled Christian consciences, and embittered Muslim attitudes toward the West. Hindley's penetrating study helps to answer the questions about how the Crusades have helped shape Europe, the modern world, and relations between Christian and Muslim countries to this day.
Why did the Church bless Duke William of Normandy's invasion of Christian England in 1066, or authorize cultural genocide in Provence? How could a Western Christian army sack Christian Constantinople in 1204? Why did thousands of ordinary men, and women too, led by knights and ladies, kings and queens, embark on campaigns of fanatical conquest in the world of Islam? Many people saw the Crusades as pilgrimages to unknown exotic lands, many believed they were doing the will of God, many were there for the plunder, but all participated in this fascinating period in history that continues to resonate in the modern world.
| Author | Geoffrey Hindley |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Constable & Robinson Ltd |
| Place | London |
| Year | 2004 |
| ISBN | 9781841197661 |
| Binding | Paperback |
| Condition | Good |
| Comments | Corners slightly; page edges a bit yellowed. |
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