God Wills It! [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Wayne Bartlett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2000

The dramatic history of the movement which throughout much of the Middle Ages sought to establish Christianity in the place of its birth. A tale of wordy ambition and spiritual sacrifice, pride and humility, extraordinary valor and despicable cowardice.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sutton Publishing; illustrated edition edition (July 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750925582
• ISBN-13: 978-0750925587
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,845,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great start, September 14, 2000

By 

Gary Malone (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Wills It! (Hardcover)

I was looking for a book on the Crusades, but since I wasn't sure whether the topic itself was interesting, I could either buy a three-volume history and regret it if I wound up bored, or a 100-page 101 that would just spoil the story for me. All the other books on the topic seemed to be dry, academic works. This book was the perfect compromise.

The tale is told with just the right balance of detail and brevity, and the story itself is fascinating. For a non-academic Bartlett does an excellent job, and the illustrations really do put you in the period. Ideal for people who are curious about the Crusades.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brief, interesting introduction to the Crusades, July 10, 2002

By 

Bruce H (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Wills It! (Hardcover)

As the other reviewers have pointed out, Bartlett maintains a balance between academic thoroughness and readability. Bartlett tends to lean more towards readability though. He covers the entire Crusading era and the book is richly illustrated with period pictures (e.g. pictures of tapestries) and modern pictures of various sites (e.g. sites in Jerusalem, various Crusader castles built in the Middle East). I was surprised there were not more maps in the book though. As time progresses, Outremer (the name of the Crusader Kingdom, also called the Kingdom of Jerusalem) changes shape and experiences several major changes throughout its life.

Bartlett covers the whole gamut of Crusader history from the first Crusade (1095 AD) to the final fall of Outremer (around 1285AD). He covers the successes of the First and Second Crusades and the terrible failures that were the Third and Fourth Crusades. Bartlett does not shy away from discussing the brutality of the all the parties involved whether it be the Crusader slaughter in Jerusalem or the Mongol blood lust that cost thousands of Muslim lives. He also covers the honourable men of the time, such as Saladin, who in many ways lived up to the European ideal of a knight more than any European ever did. Bartlett is honest when dealing with the sources of the time; admitting that some times certain details are disputed or that certain sources may be biased. Indeed, one ought to expect that from any real historian.

There are a few problems with the book though. As mentioned above, the lack of maps in an otherwise well illustrated book makes it somewhat difficult to follow the changing fortunes of Outremer. Footnoting of primary sources would be helpful. Some sort of timeline would also make the events clearer. However, the book is reasonably good in its content and includes a bibliography with some comments and an index. If you would like to read some interesting history about the Crusades, this book is a good place to start.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for history buffs and students of the Crusades., February 3, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Wills It! (Hardcover)

W.B. Bartlett's God Wills It! presents an excellent illustrated history of the Crusades, following major campaigns and revealing the latest scholarly research on the times. Black and white illustrations pepper a survey of the paradoxes and realities of the times.