The Crusades

The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land

By: Thomas Asbridge

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

The Crusades is an authoritative, accessible single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Thomas Asbridge—a renowned historian who writes with “maximum vividness” (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker)—covers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious, readable account of one of the most fascinating periods in history. From Richard the Lionheart to the mighty Saladin, from the emperors of Byzantium to the Knights Templar, Asbridge’s book is a magnificent epic of Holy War between the Christian and Islamic worlds, full of adventure, intrigue, and sweeping grandeur.

great book, not taking sides,

great book, loved it, good presentation, draws from both views, the Arabs and the Franks

Extremely Informative and Detailed

Having nothing beyond a very cursory knowledge of the Crusades I went into this book with high hopes. Thomas Asbridge's method of not only describing the battles and conflicts at the time in vivid detail but the way he weaved in the political, religious, and socioeconomic influences of the time made this a very enjoyable and understandable read.

Highly recommended

Excellent book. Very informative

This is a very thorough and informative examination of the crusades. It looks at both sides fairly amd does not paint one side as good and the other as bad. Well worth the listen.

Excellent, concise and balanced history

Sometimes books about complex historical topics are difficult to follow or get bogged down in uninteresting or unnecessary trivia. This history explains things well, in an easily digestible and straight forward telling. It has many great details and analyses of decisions made. With such a topic, strange biases about one side or another can often frustrate, but his recounting respects heroes in an honest way, describes more negative characters fairly, and represents both perspectives of the two civilizations reasonably and with interest. I feel I understand this series of conflicts much better now.

Fantastic overview of the Crusades

A refreshingly well balanced overview of the crusades. Meticulously researched and put together. It was fun and informative to listen to. As a history enthusiast it filled in the gaps for me for a part of history that is full of religious fervor and attempts vilify one side or the other.