The Modern Scholar: God Wills It!: Understanding the Crusades

By: Thomas F. Madden

Narrated by: Thomas F. Madden

As late as 1518, plans were laid by Pope Leo X and the monarchs of Europe to set aside their internal quarrels and once more embark on a holy crusade to wrest the Middle East from the Ottoman Turks. Finding accord and even enthusiasm for the enterprise, all was on course for a multiyear military campaign to push east from North Africa through Egypt and south through the Balkans to squeeze the Turks in a pincer movement and finally oust the Muslims from the Holy Land. The great plan, however, died when Europe was once again plunged into internal strife with the death of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, who had been a leader for the crusade.

For over 400 years, crusaders ("those signed by the cross"), out of Christian zeal, a declared love for their fellow man, and, in many cases, a simple desire for fortune, glory, and heavenly reward, marched to the Holy Land to battle both a real and perceived threat to their way of life and their religious beliefs. The story of the many crusades are filled with an unremitting passion to keep or return the home of Christianity to Christians. It is also filled with death, destruction, disorder, greed, avarice, and self-interest on all sides. Much of what occurred during the Crusades has come down to us today in the form of continued suspicion among religious ideologies - not only between Christians and Muslims, but also internally among Christian sects and, to some degree, among Muslim sects. There is certainly much to learn about our own history from a better understanding of the Crusades and what led so many to crusade.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2005 Thomas F. Madden (P)2005 Recorded Books

Just what I was looking for!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would highly recommend this for the person (like myself) who wanted to know details of what caused the Crusades, how they were fought, how it impacted Christianity and Islam, and the motivations of both groups. Easy to listen to, told in story format with an easy to listen to voice. I feel I have a basis now to understand present world events in a more in a more informed manner....

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Modern Scholar?

Coming from a Christian background, I knew most of the foundation principles of Christianity. Lecture 2 describes the beginnings of Islam (from a description of how Muhammed began the religion) and was very interesting.

Another great course by Dr. Madden

I have studied the crusades extensively, and even so, learned a good deal in this course. Top marks!

An Excellent education

These lectures are very well done by this outstanding author himself. I learned a tremendous overview of the crusades. I highly recommend it.

The good & bad in the Crusades from medival view.

Fare treatment of both, east, west, Christianity and Islam. insight into why each side attacked and why they seemed to favor the Muslim side after the first crusade. Really balanced view of each side. You really don't see villian's and heros, just players and layered circumstances of hopes and dreams on either side.

Little Detail

This book was adequate in laying out the foundations of the atmosphere and culture in which the crusades took place. However, it lacked a richness of detail that one would expect from an instructor with genuine enthusiasm for the subject. It was presented very much the way a professor would teach a class taken as a requirement, one in which he suspects the students harbor little interest. I have listened to many Great Courses classes and expected the same level of energy displayed by teachers of other topics. This lack of enthusiasmn resulted in straight-forward facts with no added color or nuance, something that, for me, took away from the strength of the topic. Otherwise, the lecture was clear, concise, and informative.