Christopher Tyerman

There are any number of things to appreciate about this book but it's not quite the general study of the Crusades that the somewhat jaunty title and opening anecdote of the introduction (concerning a lecture given by the author back in the day that went hilariously wrong) might suggest. In particular, the reader will get the most out of this work if they're already somewhat familiar with the cultural & political history of the period. That said, if you have the necessary background, Tyerman will give you a good grounding in the organizational machinery that was needed to launch a crusade in terms of social agitation, finance, military organization, logistics and the like with the basic point being made that for all the forlorn romance of beggars' crusades these were imperial expeditions of the highest order and very much the sport of popes & kings. As for those who would make the argument that all this reasoned effort was in the pursuit of an irrational end Tyerman dryly notes that one could say the same of today's religious wars; it doesn't mean that they can't be militarily successful.… (més)

A great collection of original sources, first-hand accounts and multiple perspectives —religiously and politically. Reveals the complexity of motives and aspirations that created the events and the strategies of the various commanders involved. Anna Comnena's account is insightful, as she makes a distinction between the Latin and Greek Christians and the "Celts" that often accompanied the former; Turks and Muslims, etc. I found keeping a notebook of the "players" as I read was helpful.

If nothing else, these accounts reveal the reality that there were black-hats and white-hats all mixed up in the Crusader's troops, as even the Christian armies sought one another's destruction at various times. The Greek emperor's attempts to minimise losses when engaged by Latin Christians is heartening; he sought to injure and dissuade their attacks rather than destroy them utterly. The reality of war is that not all motives are for the "cause", and the opportunities presented by the chaos means that "bad-men" are going to try and profit from the plans of the good-guys. But the good-guys shine that much brighter because of it.

Ignore the commentary —if you tire of the now-popular approach to paint every action of the West as wholly evil or misguided (Crusades = all bad)—, although some of the explanatory footnotes are helpful. A book like this would profit from more maps with detailed movements of the troops during key battles and skirmishes. Maps are always a bonus when dealing with very complex confrontations.… (més)