Crusaders

The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands

De: Dan Jones

Narrado por: Dan Jones

A major new history of the Crusades with an unprecedented wide scope, told in a tableau of portraits of people on all sides of the wars, from the author of Powers and Thrones.

For more than 1,000 years, Christians and Muslims lived side by side, sometimes at peace and sometimes at war. When Christian armies seized Jerusalem in 1099, they began the most notorious period of conflict between the two religions. Depending on who you ask, the fall of the holy city was either an inspiring legend or the greatest of horrors. In Crusaders, Dan Jones interrogates the many sides of the larger story, charting a deeply human and avowedly pluralist path through the crusading era.

Expanding the usual timeframe, Jones looks to the roots of Christian-Muslim relations in the eighth century and tracks the influence of crusading to present day. He widens the geographical focus to far-flung regions home to so-called enemies of the Church, including Spain, North Africa, southern France, and the Baltic states. By telling intimate stories of individual journeys, Jones illuminates these centuries of war not only from the perspective of popes and kings, but from Arab-Sicilian poets, Byzantine princesses, Sunni scholars, Shi'ite viziers, Mamluk slave soldiers, Mongol chieftains, and barefoot friars.

Crusading remains a rallying call to this day, but its role in the popular imagination ignores the cooperation and complicated coexistence that were just as much a feature of the period as warfare. The age-old relationships between faith, conquest, wealth, power, and trade meant that crusading was not only about fighting for the glory of God, but also, among other earthly reasons, about gold. In this richly dramatic narrative that gives voice to sources usually pushed to the margins, Dan Jones has written an authoritative survey of the holy wars with global scope and human focus.

©2019 Dan Jones (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Jones’s writing aims at a you-are-there effect . . . The immediacy of [his] book is enhanced by physical and psychological descriptions of the heroes and villains of the story . . . Some of Jones’s primary sources are little known, and even enthusiasts for the subject may never have heard of the Russian Daniel the Abbot, Saint Neophytos the Recluse, or La Chronique de Morigny."—The New York Review of Books

"Every page of [Dan Jones'] extraordinary book provides vivid evidence of the Crusades’ continuing ability to mesmerise...Amid the juicy anecdotes, the great strength of this book is the way in which it illuminates the human networks that underpinned the Crusades."—The Times (UK)

“Jones’ sweeping coverage of a conflict of three centuries’ duration hews to the highest standards of popular history. It is literate, thoroughly engaging, and serious, without condescension towards either its matter or its readers.”—Booklist (*starred*)

I loved it!

I'm a history buff as well as a sociologist, so this book was right up my alley. Insightful, prescient and skillfully narrated, this book was a joy from start to finish. Bravo!

Lively History

Dan Jones has a distinct talent for making distant times vivid and understandable. Topics not ordinarily of interest are engrossing in his recounting.

Interesting

A little slow but very informing. It is worth your effort os perservire.and you will surely k
Leasrn a new detail or two.

In-depth and Interesting

I thoroughly enjoy Dan Jones’ ability to bring academic knowledge to an interesting story. I’m on constant watch for new Dan Jones material available on Audible.

Love the scope and scale of this book

Jones is a great writer and this book is his masterpiece. The story is all encompassing and does a great job of connecting the often ignored story of the “crusades” in Europe with justifications usually associated with stories of the Crusades of the Holly Land that most of us are familiar with.

Excellence Summary of the Crusades

I’ve read multiple books on the crusades through the years. This book summarizes the main events and the main players throughout the years of crusades. I highly recommend it.

Good, but disappointing

Not as good as Dan Jones other work. Large events and characters were skipped or glossed over.

An inviting history of medieval international activities

A fun review of an international political mechanism of crusading.

A chronicle of dementia and courage supported by religious and practical arguments.

A wonderful skeleton to attach further - more important and less flashy ones - political stories of the Middle Ages to.

Monumental Work - Crusaders

I came into this book with practically no knowledge of this era of history. When I finished, I felt overwhelmed with what I learned and the implications that continue to this day. Dan Jones leads the reader through a complicated maze of dates, kings, places, religious views, and politics like a skillful tour guide. It left me wanting to learn more.

EXCELLENT

I searched for a long time for a good book about the crusades. This book is my answer.
It is wonderful in every way, including the excellent narration by the author.
There are more books by Dan Jones, which I am now planning to read.
My thanks to all involved to make this book available to us, JK.