Those not steeped in the period...may find themselves occasionally at sea with the dozens of characters, clashes, sects, and settings related here. But for those of us who might confuse Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin of Boulogne, or Al-Adid with Al-Adil I, relief is always in sight. For a start, Jones includes an overview of his cast of characters that wisely includes years of birth and death and notable characteristics for each. Even better, they are listed in order of appearance in the book. Chapters are well paced, and Jones’ prose is, throughout, felicitous. Helpful maps at the front of the book and scattered throughout make it easy to understand the geography ... History crackles in Jones’ assured hands. He finds bawdy humor to leaven some of the grim violence. As much as anything, he even-handedly shows how endless propaganda, greed, and naked political ambition drove the battles and alliances of the Holy Land wars as much as religious fervor did.
The author’s choice to make the people doing the action rather than the act as the focus is insightful ... An entertaining and informative look at a potent historical phenomenon whose echoes are still being felt today.
... fascinating ... And lest you hesitate because events that took place a thousand years ago appear irrelevant, rest assured: This is no dry, boring tome. Entering the world of Crusaders is a bit like plunging into the political machinations of the fight for the Iron Throne of Westeros, only in this case all the players and events are real ... even neophytes will feel well armed to appreciate the journey ... Jones’ focus on human characters and his strength as a storyteller are what make Crusaders a success. Vivid descriptions and the use of primary source quotes help readers span the centuries ... In a thought-provoking epilogue, Jones brings his narrative into the present day.
Amid the juicy anecdotes, the great strength of this book is the way in which it illuminates the human networks that underpinned the Crusades ... Jerusalem fell to Saladin in 1187. Disappointingly, Jones does not explore the divisions among the crusaders that were to blame ... The Albigensian Crusade, as the war against the Cathars was known, provides an excellent illustration of how different motives combined ... This is rollercoaster history; had I not been taking notes I would struggle to recall each twist and turn of the ride. A storyteller rather than an analyst, with a nose for the dramatic, disgusting and bizarre, Jones might not be the right man to get a call from MI5. But every page of his extraordinary book provides vivid evidence of the Crusades’ continuing ability to mesmerise, including those with murderous intent.
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. Jones cites and quotes primary sources only, inserting just the occasional demurrer about such matters as inflated casualty figures in the original histories. While the focus is on the West 'liberating' the Holy Land, Jones cites Muslim sources whenever they sharpen that focus, and he profiles big players on both sides of the fray ... The scope of the Crusades alone encourages regarding their story as an epic, an account that defines the collective spirits of the civilizations that clashed in them.
The centuries of campaigning to reclaim the Holy Land retain their fascination, as demonstrated by this expert mixture of cutthroat politics, battlefield fireworks, and mass murder ... As usual, the author has done his homework, laboring mightily to recount century after century of gruesome warfare between profoundly religious cultures with apparently no inhibition against lying and profound cruelty ... Readers may not sort out the innumerable Baldwins, Rogers, Fredericks, or battles, but they will keep the pages turning.
... accessible and thoroughly researched ... Jones paints a vivid and accurate picture of the culture, politics, and personalities of the crusading period, covering vast swaths of history and many personalities with aplomb. The general reader of history and those interested in a deeper understanding of relations between Islam and the West will find this work engaging and informative.
