The New Concise History of the Crusades
From Neoredemptive
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Thomas F. Madden
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Synopsis
A short synopsis of the best scholarsip on the crusades and crusading, covering what happened, who was involved, and what could have motivated the various actors. The book is highly critical of the popular mythologies surrounding the crusades (including those taught in all levels of the educational system and that of the modern popular muslim mind).
Doc's Take
A refreshing perspective on the crusades that resists the modern urge to impute contemporary motives to medieval thinkers, leaders, and soldiers.
The book is unapologetic on both sides; neither the crusaders nor their jihadist opponents are allowed any high ground. Neither is the modern muslim hyper-sensitivity about "crusades" and "crusaders" allowed to slide; Madden points out the constructed nature of the Middle East's "long memory" and skewers with merciless historical fact the myth that the muslim middle east was a peaceful, civilized world off high culture prior to the crusaders' arrival.
