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The Crusades
- The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 2016-08-16
- Language: English
- Publisher: HarperAudio
Price: CDN$ 73.97
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A couple of flat spots but otherwise great..
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5
Beginning in the heady days just after the First Crusade, this volume - the third in the series that began with The History of the Ancient World and The History of the Medieval World - chronicles the contradictions of a world in transition. Impressively researched and brilliantly told, The History of the Renaissance World offers not just the names, dates, and facts but the memorable characters who illuminate the years between 1100 and 1453 - years that marked a sea change in mankind's perception of the world.
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In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In The Shadow of the Sword, Tom Holland explores how this came about.
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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In this ground-breaking audiobook, Ian Mortimer portrays Henry in the pivotal year of his reign. Recording the dramatic events of 1415, he offers the fullest, most precise and least romanticised view we have of Henry and what he did. At the centre of the narrative is the campaign which culminated in the battle of Agincourt: a slaughter ground intended not to advance England’s interests directly but to demonstrate God’s approval of Henry’s royal authority on both sides of the Channel.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story5 out of 5 stars 30
When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue, and constant deprivation. Posted to the elite Grosse Deutschland division, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive.
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5 out of 5 stars
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amazing book
- By Anonymous User on 2019-01-02
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The Templars
- Written by: Dan Jones
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- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
The Knights Templar were the wealthiest, most powerful - and most secretive - of the military orders that flourished in the crusading era. Their story - encompassing as it does the greatest international conflict of the Middle Ages, a network of international finance, a swift rise in wealth and influence followed by a bloody and humiliating fall - has left a comet's tail of mystery that continues to fascinate and inspire historians, novelists and conspiracy theorists. Unabridged edition read by Dan Jones.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What a book!
- By Valerie on 2018-01-04
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Napoleon
- A Life
- Written by: Adam Zamoyski
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
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Story5 out of 5 stars 4
The story of Napoleon has been written many times. In some versions, he is a military genius, in others a war-obsessed tyrant. Here, historian Adam Zamoyski cuts through the mythology and explains Napoleon against the background of the European Enlightenment, and what he was himself seeking to achieve. This most famous of men is also the most hidden of men, and Zamoyski dives deeper than any previous biographer to find him. Beautifully written, Napoleon brilliantly sets the man in his European context.
Publisher's Summary
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, listenable 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.
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- Anonymous User
- 2018-11-18
Fantastic Book
Very well written, and I think a balanced and fair look at the Crusades. The third crusade was my favorite
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-01-06
learned alot
good book really take you back to a time when religion was king. it's kind of like 2 lunatics that both believe they are right have a boxing match
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- T.J
- 2018-10-03
Probably the Best Book Ever Written on the Subject
A fantastic and gripping telling of the events! I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and it’s exactly what I look for in a book on history.
If you are remotely interested in the subject, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. You won’t regret it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-01-03
Those Who Do Not Learn From History Are Doomed
One thousand years later, and again war in Syria. War and depravity over a city, Jerusalem. And of course jihad....My favorite quote from Einstein is "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones". I believe the humankind "kill-switch" is ingrained within our 23 chromosomes, and regardless of the stated reason, man really needs to kill other people. If death is not final, a warrior has nothing to lose. If this warrior believes that there is someplace glorious when he dies then it makes sense (to fight). But it is not about religion, it is about that impulse, that dark, dark impulse. People who are born with the "gift of gab", have always been able to talk people into crusades. People who are born with other gifts, are always willing to listen, and in fact seek out such people. i.e. (Hitler and Germans, and lately Trump and Americans). The only thing that has really changed, is the weapons..
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- T. Anderson
- 2016-09-24
Learned more from this than in the past 60 years.
This book taught me more than just about any other historical piece I have read. It manages to masterfully put the Crusades in a format that shows the personalities on both sides that created the political conditions that fueled the hundred years of violence between two competing religions, philosophies and political systems for dominance of Palestine and its religious sites, holy to both sides.
33 of 34 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Tad Davis
- 2016-10-04
Comprehensive
There are a few topics that get short shrift in Asbridge's account, like the Albigensien Crusade and the People's Crusade. But if you want a comprehensive history of the wars fought in the Middle East, he's your guy. Asbridge writes with great narrative pace without sacrificing detail; he clarifies both the complex political history of Outremer and the moment-by-moment action of the great battles and sieges. The story is filled with great personalities - Saladin, Richard Lionheart, the sad Louis King of France, the brutal Baybars. A final chapter reflects on how the crusades have been used as reference points in later history. Derek Perkins' reading is brisk and interesting.
49 of 51 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rick
- 2016-09-08
A Thorough Look
A very interesting listen. Nice job connecting the history of the Crusades with other events going on, both at the time of the Crusades as well as since.
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2017-05-31
Crash course on the Crusades
If you could sum up The Crusades in three words, what would they be?
Very detailed, well written narrative on an intriguing period where Christianity first developed a theological war doctrine and applied it vigorously.
What did you like best about this story?
What struck me was the general ineffectiveness of the Crusades. Basically, only the First Crusade was a real, striking success, conquering Jerusalem against all odds. The Third Crusade was somewhat of a success, gaining the Crusaders Acre. The rest ranged from minor failures to complete failures.
Which character – as performed by Derek Perkins – was your favorite?
I was enamored by Richard the Lionheart, especially how he outsmarted Saladin. Baybars was effective in his campaigns. He shone in his use of communications; using fast messengers on horseback and deception.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The two failed Crusades to Egypt were particularly heart-wrenching.
Any additional comments?
What irritated me somewhat was the ignorance of the writer on Islamic law. He writes that Greater Jihad (ie, the internal battle for one's own soul, الجِهاد الأَكْبَر) is the jihad that is written about in the Qu'ran. This is plainly wrong. Most references to jihad in the Qu'ran and Hadith are about the Lesser Jihad (الجِهاد الأَصْغَر), which is the one all kufar should be aware of.
The author seems to take the time to linger on Crusader atrocities, but quickly skips over Muslim atrocities or refers to the tit-for-tat character of it, even if 100 years after. This way of looking at crimes is very similar to the modern 'soft bigotry of lower expectations' where westerners are held to other standards than non-westerns.
Mention is made by the author that the Crusades were unilateral aggression by the Crusaders. The fact that Christianity had to suffer for over 4 centuries of relentless aggression by Muslim invasions and conquests is waved away.
If you do not care for the Author's personal opinion on this matter, be sure to skip the last chapter.
60 of 66 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vasiliy Pisarchuk
- 2016-12-05
Amazing!
As a fan of Roman and medieval history, this was an amazing experience. Very detailed and informative.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jace Miller
- 2016-12-16
a must for anyone interested in the Crusades
I loved listening to this book a learned a ton I didn't know about the Crusades. I found the narrator to be engaging and easy to understand. It provided views on events from Christian and Islamic sides and doesn't seem to hold either in a higher esteem and viewed them fairly.
15 of 19 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan Hobbs
- 2017-03-27
Solid and objective history with minor innacuracie
Really good, with well researched and objective content. However, there are a few small problems. The author gets the characteristics of European arms and armor completely wrong. He says that mail was very poor armor, when in fact it is very effective, taking tremendously powerful hits and keeping the wearer safe. His view of European swords is also wrong, viewing them as crowbars rather than the agile weapons they truly are. This shows a disturbing lack of personal research of the primary sources. All one has to do is read contemporary accounts and handle accurate reproductions to know how wrong this segment was.
Also, the author consistently mentions different units of currency throughout the book but with no comparison of the currency or what a unit of the currency was worth. This information might be in the physical book.
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SS
- 2017-02-28
Profound Narrative with Modern World Impact
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I have recommended this audiobook to friends, who like me, appreciate in-depth research presented authoritatively in easily-digested narrative.
What did you like best about this story?
I enjoyed the detailed accounts of the actors, attitudes, motivations and locations of the events we know as the Crusades, presented from Western AND Muslim points of view.
What does Derek Perkins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Derek Perkins' proper pronunciation helped greatly in my understanding of the material as I followed his narration in the hard-copy book. His pronunciation of French and Arabic names aided in a more thorough understanding of the historic figures and Middle Eastern locations of the Crusades.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Though this book provoked no extreme reactions like laughter or tears, I came away with a feeling of complete satisfaction for having spent the time listening to the accounts of a two hundred year span of human history.
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- J. Grablowski
- 2016-12-27
Starts slow, then gets really good.
I found this book fascinating. As bridge really makes quite the attempt to be as objective as possible, given the limited amount of time and detail inherent in a comprehensive overview. I found his recounting of the Third Crusade particularly engrossing. Well worth a listen.
10 of 13 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- J. Newhouse
- 2017-11-22
Very good, but...
Performance is superb and research, storytelling, and putting it all together are very well done. Opened my eyes to a new viewpoint on pre-crusades and arguments on whether or not Muslim aggression sparked the crusades. Didn’t really care for the ending. Author felt he needed to do a little Bush bashing. He always strives to give context to Islamic actions, but isn’t willing to be that generous for contemporary Western actions. Should’ve and could’ve just left that whole part out.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful