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The Perfect Heresy: The Life and Death of the Cathars

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The Perfect Heresy: The Life and Death of the Cathars (Paperback)

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Product Description

Eight hundred years ago, the Cathars, a group of heretical Christians from all walks of society, high and low, flourished in what is now the Languedoc in Southern France. Their subversive beliefs brought down on them the wrath of Popes and monarchs and provoked a brutal 'Crusade' against them. The final defeat of the Cathars was horrific with mass burnings of men, women and children in the village of Montaillou in the Pyrenees.

About the Author

Stephen O'Shea is a Canadian historian and journalist. His earlier books Back to the Front: an accidental historian walks the trenches of World War I and The Perfect Heresy: the Life and Death of the Cathars were acclaimed as popular history at its best. He lives in France. Click here for his webpage.

Product Details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd (May 21, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1861973500
ISBN-13: 978-1861973504
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #549,606 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informal and Friendly, January 4, 2008

By	Bu-chan (Aotearoa) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Perfect Heresy: The Life and Death of the Cathars (Hardcover)

"The Perfect Heresy: The Life and Death of the Cathars" covers a brutal but interesting chapter in the wider history of Crusading that covered a few centuries of European history. While focusing on the main period of the Albigensian Crusade, (launched into action by Pope Innocent III), from 1209-29 and including up to 1244, there are forays into the contextual lead up from the 12th century.

O'Shea writes in a very informal and colloquial style, with none of the dryness that other historical writers may be accused of. The style makes for accessibility, and any terms that happen to be specific to the topic are explained. O'Shea does use some descriptive words that might require a look in a dictionary, but overall, his language and style are almost friendly, and definitely engaging.

The book is not detailed in the sense of other more focused works, and O'Shea sometimes glosses over some of the more contentious issues in relation to both Albigensian Crusades and the wider phenomena of crusading in general. However, for what the book is, the detail is sufficient for the general reader who is looking to gain a basic overview of the period and events. O'Shea covers the main battles, (Beziers, Muret, Minerve, etc), and the main political actions, such as the Occitan emmissaries heading to Rome to complain to Pope Innocent III directly over Simon de Montfort's gains in terms of land.

For seasoned enthusiast of Cathar and Crusades history, this book may come off as a little "low brow" and basic. However, for those who are interested in the Albigensian Crusades, but have the daunting choice of where to begin, I would recommend this book as that starting point. It might not entirely satisfy your curiosity, but it will certainly give you a good grounding in the subject matter.

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