Book Recommendation on History of Crusades

[switalabe]

Hi CA Community & Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

I’m reading a book that has really gotten me thinking: They Glory of the Crusades by Steve Weidenkopf. Looks like it was published by Catholic Answers. I have found it so far to be a fascinating and exciting read.

In the past I’ve assumed that the Crusades were a dark part of the Church’s history and an example of people’s horrible mistakes, but now I’m considering whether they weren’t really the Will of God & fought by those who truly loved God and neighbor. The book does detail the crimes of the various people involved.

Merry Christmas,
Ben

 

[neophyte]

Thanks for the recommendation. Hilliare Belloc’s book on the First Crusade is also well worth reading.

 

[robwar]

Hi CA Community & Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

I’m reading a book that has really gotten me thinking: They Glory of the Crusades by Steve Weidenkopf. Looks like it was published by Catholic Answers. I have found it so far to be a fascinating and exciting read.

In the past I’ve assumed that the Crusades were a dark part of the Church’s history and an example of people’s horrible mistakes, but now I’m considering whether they weren’t really the Will of God & fought by those who truly loved God and neighbor. The book does detail the crimes of the various people involved.

Merry Christmas,
Ben

I just finished that book and found it an excellent historical explanation of all the different crusades, who was involved and what went right and wrong. I found it interesting that in the last chapters, Steve tied in the battle of Lepanto and the seige of Vienna as the final crusades and the final stoppage of Muslim expantion into Europe. Robert Spencer wrote about the crusades in one of his books. Robert parralled what Steve wrote but his conclusion was that the ended up being failures and thus the incentive ended. I also felt Steve’s book helped me to admire a number of the medival Popes which again are usually maligned and made out to be corrupt. I would hope Steve would have a follow up on some of the fighting religious orders like the Templars and what happen to them which looks like more of a betrayal than what the history channel makes them out to be; some secretive order aligned with the Masons and took their treasures to the new world. Anything that can clear up misinformation is great and badly needed.