People of the First Crusade [Hardcover]

Michael Foss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 1997

A remarkably vivid account of the First Crusade, which began in 1095, opens a window on one of history's most bizarre adventures, during which ordinary people changed the course of history."

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Foss, an independent historian, absorbingly tells the strange tale of Christendom's First Crusade (109799) to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule. In an attempt to unify Latin Christendom and defuse the threat of a Muslim invasion from the East, Pope Urban II, in a speech at Clermont, France, in 1095, urged military leaders to form an army of liberation and free the Holy Land from Muslim control. The pope's speech sparked an excess of pious idealism that outstripped common sense: Invoking the protection of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, popular leaders like Peter the Hermit led the first Crusaders, unmilitary mobs of peasants, who indulged in a series of brutal atrocities (a sanguinary pogrom against the Jewish community of Mainz was only the most spectacular) before being scattered by Turkish forces. Knights like Stephen of Blois and Godfrey of Bouillon assembled a more professional but still motley Christian army, notable from the first for its violence and lack of discipline. Driven by an intense religious fervor, the Christian army conducted total war against Muslims and Jews, showing no mercy to the elderly, women, or children. They defeated the forces sent against them, captured the cities of Antioch and Nicaea, and concluded the campaign with a successful assault on the Holy City of Jerusalem. In each case, a wanton slaughter of the inhabitants followed. Through three years of costly struggle, faith that sometimes was little more than superstition sustained the Crusaders: After the fall of Antioch, a seer named Peter Bartholomew claimed to have uncovered the lance that pierced Jesus' side, which was believed to ensure the ultimate victory of the Crusaders. Foss's account points up the irony of this war, in which religion was pressed into the cause of violence and brigandry, and concludes that ``God--Allah--is not best served, if at all, by fighting.'' A sobering narrative, well told, of a shameful episode that epitomized religious bigotry and intolerance. (22 illustrations, 7 maps, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (September 4, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559704144
• ISBN-13: 978-1559704144
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,887,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good summary using the Crusaders' own accounts, July 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the First Crusade (Hardcover)

A good review of the First Crusades using their own words. While it does not replace the works of Riley-Smith or others, it is an easy read. Recommended for those who want a quick introduction to the subject. My only complaint is that the sources should have been identified.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sources please., September 8, 2002

By 

TA "resident" (East Lansing, Mi USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People of the First Crusade (Paperback)

This book is somewhat interesting as a story, has virtually no documented sources whatsoever. There is no bibliography, no works cited, not even footnotes. The closest we get is an occasional quotation from a primary source with a rough citation above or below it. This makes it virtually useless as any sort of serious academic study.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid, readable history of the Crusades, June 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the First Crusade (Paperback)

I searched high and low for a book on the Crusades, the history of which I remembered only vaguely from high school. I bought books that came highly recommended and couldn't get through more than twenty pages. This book, on the other hand, is excellent. Foss's great writing style allows the reader to experience the turmoil, hardship, deep religious feelings, and most of all the excitement of the Crusades. It is thorough, easy to follow, and wonderfully readable.