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kb_208's review against another edition
4.0
It's quite dense, but full of information that really makes present conflicts much more clear and understandable. She does a great job of transitioning between the history and present to give a good picture of cause and effects the crusades had on the middle east and modern world. It's quite a lot of information to process, but it is a really well written book if you're interested in European/Middle East history.
colinmogg's review against another edition
4.0
Well written, and informative. The content is frustrating, and therefore not terribly enjoyable to read.
hermyknee19's review against another edition
5.0
This was honestly a really amazing book. I'm not sure what made me pick it up, but I decided to read it mostly because I had never learned about the Crusades in school. And wow, what a tome to start with.
What I didn't expect was a more literary comparison between the Crusades and today's religious struggle in the Middle East, but that's what I got, and my knowledge base has been expanded all the wider for it.
Extremely thorough and dense, but well-written and not difficult to read. Very long? Yes.
What I most enjoyed was Armstrong's connection between the Puritan movement to the United States and its ties to medieval Crusades. I thought that was fascinating and made for interesting conversation between me and my fiance.
What I didn't expect was a more literary comparison between the Crusades and today's religious struggle in the Middle East, but that's what I got, and my knowledge base has been expanded all the wider for it.
Extremely thorough and dense, but well-written and not difficult to read. Very long? Yes.
What I most enjoyed was Armstrong's connection between the Puritan movement to the United States and its ties to medieval Crusades. I thought that was fascinating and made for interesting conversation between me and my fiance.
raehink's review
3.0
The author theorizes that the Crusades are behind the current situation in the Middle East. She takes a look at all three major religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and traces their origins through the Crusades. She then examines how they have influenced us today through anti-Semitism, anti-homosexuality and anti-Islam. This was a long read and I wasn't always that interested in what Armstrong had to say...but overall it was worth the time and I came away with a deeper understanding of my own Christian religious history.
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