Soldiers of the faith: Crusaders and Moslems at war

by Ronald C. Finucane

A fresh and engrossing look at the Crusades captures the everyday experience of those who actually took part in the campaign. Drawing on a variety of sources, Ronald C. Finucane, a distinguished professor of history, asks what inspired the recruits who marched across Europe to fight the "infidel," as well as those they fought against. What did it feel like to be a crusader? How did the long marches, bad food, and lack of medicine affect the average armed pilgrim? What image of the enemy did each side carry into battle? What role did women play, and how did the forces act on and off the field? It's a study that still resonates strongly in our world today.

Genres: History, Medieval History, Military History, Religion, Medieval, Islam, Nonfiction

247 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another addition to my completed Crusades Shelf. The Crusades are a fascinating time for me. Action from 600 AD onward have created the modern problems among Jews, Christians, and Moslems. The fall of Jerusalem to the 1st Crusade, its recapture be the forces of Saladin after the defeat of Guy De Lusignan at the Horns Of Hattin, the 4th Crusade which sacked Constantinople, the burning of Alexandria, to the final fall of Acre in 1291 are all points in Crusader history. The book just completed examined some of the lesser discussed portions of the Crusades. The attacks by Crusaders against Jews while traveling to Jerusalem, points of faith, European Crusade financing, and Moslem-Christian cooperation were all discussed. I definitely found all these topics refreshing and interesting. You should be well-versed in Crusade history before picking up this one however, I do recommend it.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. It is about the general themes of the Crusades, not about them specifically e.g. the backgrounds of the crusaders and the involvement of women. If you want to learn about each individual Crusade, this is not the book for you. It gives generalities, especially the interactions between Christians and Moslems. Good book though and quite informative.