Book
The Crusades : a very short introduction / Christopher Tyerman.
Crusading fervour gripped Europe for over 200 years, creating one of the most vivid episodes in world history, inspiring Hollywood movies and great works of literature. The author presents a lively discussion of the Crusades, bringing together issues of colonialism, cultural exchange and economic exploitation.
Record details
- ISBN: 0192803255 (hbk.)
- ISBN: 0192806556 (alk. paper)
- Physical Description: 167 p. : ill., maps ; 18 cm.
- Publisher: Oxford ; Oxford University Press, 2005.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-147) and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Definition -- Crusades in the eastern Mediterranean -- Crusades in the west -- The impact of the Crusades -- Holy war -- The business of the cross -- Holy lands. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Crusades. |
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Selkirk College.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Circulation Modifier | Holdable? | Status | Due Date | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castlegar Campus Library | D 157 T88 2005 (Text)
Copy: c. 1
|
B001548940 | General | Volume hold | Available | - |
More information
- Choice Reviews : Choice Reviews 2005 September
Tyerman (Oxford), a well-known historian of the Crusades, set out to write about the continual reinterpretation of the causes and consequences of the Crusades and their use and misuse by the West and the East. Although engaging, his brief narrative proves too dense in too short a book, leading to the author's stated goal being deferred to the conclusion. The conclusion itself is so abbreviated that the author's findings appear rushed and shallow. Tyerman's writing is engaging and entertaining, but geared toward readers familiar with the topic and able to fill in information to which the author refers, but does not explain. An overview of the first five Crusades is followed by a condensed discussion of 13th-century military activity and an interesting essay on the business of crusading. The work reads like an interesting, one-sided conversation, and provides no footnotes, endnotes, or bibliography. This text should not be the primary introduction for students new to the Crusades. Summing Up: Recommended. Public libraries. Copyright 2005 American Library Association. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2004 December #1
The first Crusade was called more than 1000 years ago, but the 19th-century romantic patina that surrounds those ancient wars of religion has made them attractive to modern audiences. Older Americans may remember General Eisenhower describing World War II as "The Great Crusade." Now, both Presidents Bush have used the metaphor to describe America's struggles with Iraq, and Saddam Hussein never tired of comparing himself to Saladin, the Arab foe of the Crusaders. In a brief but informative history of the Crusading movement, Tyerman (medieval history, Oxford Univ.) dispels many popular myths. Tyerman argues that the wars were but one manifestation of the Holy War movement, which also included intra-European conflicts, such as the Reconquista of Spain, the intra-Christian crusades against the Albigensians and the Hussites, and even continuing through the 17th-century Balkan wars against the Turks. Lacking the standard academic apparatus that intimidates many readers, this illuminating work is highly readable and highly recommended for larger public libraries and academic collections in European history that serve lower-level undergraduates.-Christopher Brennan, SUNY at Brockport Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2004 December #3
In this excellent popular history, medieval historian Tyerman offers a short introduction to the Crusades, touching on the most salient features and helping readers understand why it's so important to ferret out from all the lore what really happened. While it's a tall order to present more than four centuries of wars spanning three continents, Tyerman rises to the task with aplomb, noting early on that "much of what passes in public as knowledge of the Crusades is either misleading or false." The Crusades were not, he says, solely wars against Islam, and their main purpose wasn't to impose Western economic or political leadership, especially since "there existed no strategic or material interest for the knights of the west to campaign in Judea." As the book's second half makes clear, the Crusades need to be understood as religious holy wars conducted by individuals who were infused by utter certainty that their actions aligned wholly with God's plan. Tyerman writes engagingly, and numerous maps and illustrations help to support his story-especially since, as he tells us, "iconography is never innocent." A sharply opinionated concluding essay traces the impact of the Crusades through the Protestant Reformation, Enlightenment and 19th-century romanticism to the present, arguing that Bush and bin Laden are "co-heirs to the legacy of a 19th-century European construct" of the Crusades. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
