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The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Thomas Asbridge (Author), Derek Perkins (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,599 ratings
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The Crusades is an authoritative, accessible single-volume history of the brutal struggle for the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Thomas Asbridge - a renowned historian who writes with "maximum vividness" (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker) - covers the years 1095 to 1291 in this big, ambitious, listenable account of one of the most fascinating periods in history. From Richard the Lionheart to the mighty Saladin, from the emperors of Byzantium to the Knights Templar, Asbridge's book is a magnificent epic of holy war between the Christian and Islamic worlds, full of adventure, intrigue, and sweeping grandeur.

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  1. Listening Length
    25 hours and 32 minutes
  2. Author
    Thomas Asbridge
  3. Narrator
    Derek Perkins
  4. Audible release date
    August 16, 2016
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HarperAudio
  7. ASIN
    B01H41C1TU
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 25 hours and 32 minutes
Author Thomas Asbridge
Narrator Derek Perkins
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date August 16, 2016
Publisher HarperAudio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B01H41C1TU
Best Sellers Rank #3,624 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#6 in History of Christianity (Audible Books & Originals)
#24 in History of Christianity (Books)
#25 in European History (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,599 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and informative, providing a detailed account of the Crusades. They appreciate the clear, lively prose and balanced perspective. Readers describe the history as complete and exciting, with a detailed chronology of events that makes the brutality feel real. The book provides portraits of key characters and descriptions of their personalities.

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ReadabilityInformation qualityReadableBalancing effectHistoryPersonalityAuthoritarianBalance
235 customers mention "Readability"224 positive11 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They describe it as a fine historical work that provides a factual rendering of history without jingoism. Readers appreciate the detailed coverage of the Crusades, including military movements. Overall, they consider it an insightful and well-written read.

"...[ASIN:0061582603 God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades]]; an excellent read, but one that gives only a cursory glance towards details - but by..." Read more

"...From the very beginning, Asbridge gives enough historical background to set the stage for the next 150 years of christian struggle to reclaim the..." Read more

"A great and insightful book. It takes a little bit for the reader to get really entangled, but once the First Crusade sets off you become hooked...." Read more

"...essential reading for half a century now, are still valid, entertaining reads but have been long since over-taken by newer evidence and much fresher..." Read more

190 customers mention "Information quality"182 positive8 negative

Customers find the book insightful and well-researched. It covers all the important aspects of the Crusades in a straightforward yet entertaining way. The author has an eye for revealing details and anecdotes, providing a good general understanding of the period. They appreciate the balanced approach to seeking truth through contemporary sources from the period.

"...who is also a gifted storyteller, balancing the proper amount of detail necessary to gain an educated academic understanding of the subject with the..." Read more

"...Asbridge's work makes for a great gateway book for new or casual readers but if you are looking for a book that will go into great detail and expand..." Read more

"...Thanks to Asbridge for a wonderfully authoritative account of this period in history, and for writing it in such a way as to appeal to lay persons,..." Read more

"...While this book does have adequate maps supporting the text, I used Google Maps to both understand where the major battles were as well as to..." Read more

155 customers mention "Readable"132 positive23 negative

Customers find the book readable and engaging. They appreciate the clear prose and vivid descriptions of events and cultures. The writing is scholarly but not dry, and the author builds a powerful modern narrative without racism. Overall, it's a good foundational text for further study.

"...who is also a gifted storyteller, balancing the proper amount of detail necessary to gain an educated academic understanding of the subject with the..." Read more

"...The book covers a lot of material while still keeping you interested in the narrative...." Read more

"...to reclaim the Holy Land, and does it in a clearly-written, easy-to-understand format, which can be enjoyed by non-Crusades scholars and those who..." Read more

"...a testament not only to the author's skill but to the inherent drama of the period...." Read more

61 customers mention "Balancing effect"61 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the balanced perspective of the book. They find the events and timeline accurate, with just enough context for each conflict. The author gives a broad understanding of events, using accounts from different perspectives, mostly from the Crusaders'. Readers enjoy the in-depth personal accounts of historical figures. Overall, they describe the book as honest, factual, and enjoyable.

"...answered, and I felt that Asbridge covered everything quite well and fairly...." Read more

"...an objective and unbiased approach to the matter, intertwining Latin and Muslim perspectives...." Read more

"...And it pays attention to both sides of the conflicts in a fair and even-handed way...." Read more

"...He gives just enough context for each conflict and makes each of the characters come alive, revealing them not as distant historical figures beyond..." Read more

39 customers mention "History"39 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides a detailed account of the various battles in the Crusades. They find it easy to read and exciting, with a chronology that makes you feel the brutality. The book is described as one of the best single-volume histories of the Crusades available to date. It takes a very complex period and makes it understandable, providing a good grasp of the period. Readers mention there is a narrative about key European participants. Overall, they describe it as a magnificent work on the Crusades, with facts and historical conjecture mixed together.

"...Asbridge's chronology is straightforward; starting with a quick survey of Islam's rise and subsequent takeover of the Christian Holy Land, he moves..." Read more

"Asbridge has written a simply magnificent work on the Crusades...." Read more

"This is one of the best single volume histories of the Crusades available to date...." Read more

"What an interesting and all encompassing history of the Crusades that exams all sides of the various campaigns and battles including aspects of the..." Read more

22 customers mention "Personality"22 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's personality. They find it provides a good overview of the personalities and motivations of key figures in the Crusades. The descriptions are detailed, providing a realistic look at several important people. Readers appreciate the reasonable explanations of what motivated the major actors and the evaluation of individual motivations.

"...he moves us through each of the main five Crusades, deftly describing the expected peoples, places, and battles...." Read more

"...but the political, social and religious factors and personalities that influenced the events...." Read more

"...He gives just enough context for each conflict and makes each of the characters come alive, revealing them not as distant historical figures beyond..." Read more

"...Europe and the middle east, the political forces abounding, the strong personalities which rose up in the conflict...." Read more

10 customers mention "Authoritarian"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book objective and balanced. They appreciate the good descriptions of facts and unbiased interpretations.

"...And what Asbridge provides in indeed an authoritative, in-depth, and highly detailed account of the four crusades, what sparked them, what happened,..." Read more

"...Finally, although written by a westerner, it is not biased. All things considered, a must read." Read more

"...job of explaining events from both sides of the battles with very little bias that I could detect...." Read more

"...No evident bias on presenting Christian and Muslim perspectives...." Read more

10 customers mention "Balance"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the balanced account and readable narrative of the book. They find it impartial and detailed.

"...He strikes a good balance between talking about the most important figures and key battles versus the less-glamorous but as-important topics such as..." Read more

"...Are you serious? Looking for a readable, modern, balanced, digestible history of the Crusades to start exploring the subject?..." Read more

"...Exactly what I wanted in a book. Fair and balanced...." Read more

"...has done a nice job of telling the story of the crusades with a balanced hand and a readable narrative style...." Read more

Water Damaged
1 out of 5 stars
Water Damaged
I purchased the book as “New” but it is clearly not. In fact, it is water damaged. The water damage has left the book crispy and hard and the pages discolored. It couldn’t even be described as “Used -Good”, let alone “New”.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reid
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fully accessible but scholarly-accomplished history of the Crusades
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    In "The Crusades..." Thomas Asbridge achieves the rare feat of compiling most of the worthwhile knowledge on the Crusades into a single, albeit hefty, volume, without boring the reader. I was initially hesitant to purchase this book because, as a medical student, I figured a 700-page, scholarly-looking tome would end up getting shelved 30 pages in, in favor of some lighter nighttime reading material. Eventually, beset by the lack of high-quality books on The Crusades available on the Kindle, I finally decided to give it a try. It was a great decision; I found "The Crusades" to be a fantastic and engrossing read.

    Asbridge manages to engage the reader not by presenting a mere overview of events - as is the case in God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades; an excellent read, but one that gives only a cursory glance towards details - but by constructing a masterfully entertaining narrative. The Crusades are a fascinating story; the quality of any book on the subject is determined by the author's skill at collating the information, not on the subject matter. And Asbridge excels at organizing this enormous corpus; he's also the rare wordsmith (why use proximity when propinquity is so... close at hand?) who is also a gifted storyteller, balancing the proper amount of detail necessary to gain an educated academic understanding of the subject with the needs of a narrative to flow smoothly. I can't emphasize this enough - in another author's hands, this level of detail might be uncomfortable and one might feel as though they are slogging through the book, and that's what makes the book so rewarding. I feel as though I've gained an extraordinary amount of knowledge without having to put up with the run-on sentences and unclear and jumbled thought processes often found in serious academic histories.

    Asbridge also manages to frame the subject extraordinarily well. I've read several other books on The Crusades, and listened to a full lecture course on the subject from The Great Courses. I found unanswered questions answered, and I felt that Asbridge covered everything quite well and fairly. Asbridge shows no tendency towards bias on either end of the spectrum, and equal time is devoted to both the concepts of Crusade and that of Jihad - something I found very interesting. In fact, the level of detail presented on the Muslim side surpasses anything I've seen anywhere else. There are almost no details on the non-canonical or even heretical crusades, but this is appropriate - this book is the history of the war for the holy land, not the history of Crusading. The initial evolution of the idea of crusading, the typical motives of the crusaders, and the military realities in both the Muslim and Christian world are given sufficient attention so that no portion of the core story of the Wars feels "orphaned" from reality. But there is definitely a conscious effort to keep the book within its bounds, and there is no detailed discussion of Richard's troubles on the home front, for example. Enough to keep you informed, yes - but you're not buying a biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine or John.

    In sum, it would be inappropriate to label this book an overview of events. While not exhaustive in its detail, you'd be hard pressed to find any better bang for your page on the entire topic of the Crusades, from start to finish. I would urge any student of history who is considering this book to give it a shot. "The Crusades" would make a both a fantastic introduction and a fitting capstone to any exploration of The Crusades.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • sridhar r bommareddy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great read for someone new to the subject
    Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The book is well written and is a great insight into the topic of the Crusades. The book focuses heavily on the early crusades, particularly the first, second, and third, which is understandable as they are the ones that people want to know about. While a lot people are pretty aware of the military engagements fought during the crusades, many are not aware of the political climate of the time, which the book does a great job of explaining. The book also excels in providing great analysis of the battles fought, something that a lot of books and history courses in schools, like ancient world history, don't often focus on. The book covers a lot of material while still keeping you interested in the narrative. Asbridge's work makes for a great gateway book for new or casual readers but if you are looking for a book that will go into great detail and expand your existing knowledge, I highly suggest you look somewhere else.
    One person found this helpful
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  • weebiscuit
    5.0 out of 5 stars Will continue to search out Asbridge's works!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Having taught U.S. History during my teaching career (now retired), I have long been a fan of everything historical. While I of course knew a bit of the Crusades, I had never studied it in depth. I'm so glad I found this book.

    From the very beginning, Asbridge gives enough historical background to set the stage for the next 150 years of christian struggle to reclaim the Holy Land, and does it in a clearly-written, easy-to-understand format, which can be enjoyed by non-Crusades scholars and those who are more acquainted with the period.

    As the author introduces each leading player on both sides of the struggle, he gives us ample insight as to their motivations and preparedness to enter the fight. While I'd been familiar with the name Saladin, it was quite rewarding to learn about him not only as a jihadist with a vengeance for killing Christians, but also as a person with doubts and worries.

    Having been familiar with the western monarchs who went to the Holy Land, I was not that familiar with the Muslim caliphs and sultans. Because of the difficulty in trying to sort through all the Muslim names and keep them straight, I simply began writing down the name of each character as he was introduced, with a small note reminding myself who he was related to or which geographical area he came from. This helped clarify (for my muddled old mind), who everyone was and made the reading more meaningful to me. I also found maps of the Crusades online and printed two of them out, so I had a good idea in my mind where the lesser-known areas were in relation to Jerusalem. More advanced scholars of this area would certainly not need to do this. And in no way does mentioning my personal "Cliff Notes" stand as an intention to demean the author. It was simply to help me keep straight characters with whom I was previously unfamiliar.

    I was rather stunned that after the failures of Crusades Three and Four that a Fifth one had occurred, and that apparently none of the westerners taking part in these Crusades seems to have learned from the mistakes of the previous participants. I think that many of us who know only a smattering of Crusade history think that "they went, they saw, they conquered" and only had to return because of eventual re-encroachment by Muslims. Instead, the story is quite different. I was also stunned by the numbers of men in not only the Christian armies, but in the Muslim armies, and was surprised at the great influence the Mongols had secured in the area.

    The one area in which I would have liked a bit more information was how in the world these Crusaders provisioned themselves on the march to the Holy Land, as they were still moving eastwards through Europe. I can't imagine how groups of thousands of people kept themselves fed during the long months of marching. What did they bring with them to eat along the way? When they came to towns, how would these towns have enough food on hand to feed these troops? Did they herd cattle or other livestock with them as they marched? Did they bring chickens? Did they have "cooks" or did each soldier fare for himself? Of course these are minor curiosities and have nothing to do with the import of the book as a whole, but it's something that made me wonder about how this was all accomplished.

    Thanks to Asbridge for a wonderfully authoritative account of this period in history, and for writing it in such a way as to appeal to lay persons, such as myself!
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • AGNALDO SILVA
    5.0 out of 5 stars RECE BIDO
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 5, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    SATISFEITO
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  • Yogananda A
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome 👌
    Reviewed in India on May 18, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The most admirable aspect of the book is that it reads both like a novel and a textbook. It is informative and structured like a  textbook being suspenseful and thrilling like a novel at the same time. No wonder the author took 6 years to complete this book. He not only narrates history very well but also makes brilliant analysis of the versatile multiple factors involving the crusades with respect to past, present and future. In this erudite account of the crusades he adeptly compares contemporary Arabic and Latin historical resources relating to the crusades to draw the most accurate conclusions. He also provides essential criticism on modern historical accounts which could be simplistic, distorted or manipulative like in one or two instances where the author proves his point logically to negate general misconceptions or popular opinions of modern historians tainted by hindsight. I could write a lot more about the book but not without spilling details that I feel that every reader should find out by himself or herself. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading, knowing or learning about the crusades. Happy reading 📚 😊 Cheers!
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  • Mahtab
    5.0 out of 5 stars Empfehlenswert
    Reviewed in Germany on March 2, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Habe das Buch als historische Backgroundinfo zu Lessings Nathan und der Saladinbiographie Marins von 1754 gegengelesen. Ist jetzt nicht grad ein Geschichtsschmöker, den man verschlingt, aber für eine Darstellung aller Kreuzzüge sehr gut lesbar, hat auch durchaus Nachschlagewert. Und es ist doch interessant, wie sich im Laufe der Zeit die Sichtweise auf bekannte Teilnehmer der Kreuzzüge geändert hat. Eindringlich und gelungen ist die Darstellung Balduins IV., die mich angerührt hat. Man bekommt Lust, vertiefend zu einzelnen Kreuzzügen oder Persönlichkeiten zu lesen und sich die Schauplätze anzusehen. Seufz.
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  • Kerry Kaminski
    5.0 out of 5 stars A well written history of an important era.
    Reviewed in Canada on May 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is an impressive book. This book is never boring and it seems that every chapter would make a good movie. It is amazing, too, how much detailed history seems to have survived from this era. The history of the crusades is both tragic and interesting and worth knowing to help understand Western history.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Crusade
    Reviewed in Singapore on March 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Good read.
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