• The Crusades

  • The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land
  • By: Thomas Asbridge
  • Narrated by: Derek Perkins
  • Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,885 ratings)

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The Crusades  By  cover art

The Crusades

By: Thomas Asbridge
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2010 Thomas Asbridged (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"Derek Perkins is, as always, a matchless narrator. One could relish this production entirely for the music of his pronunciation." ( AudioFile)

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What listeners say about The Crusades

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a must for anyone interested in the Crusades

I loved listening to this book a learned a ton I didn't know about the Crusades. I found the narrator to be engaging and easy to understand. It provided views on events from Christian and Islamic sides and doesn't seem to hold either in a higher esteem and viewed them fairly.

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21 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A long and excellent history of the Crusades

A very indepth history of the Crusades. The length and breadth of the title did make it difficult the finish, but well worth a listen.

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4 people found this helpful

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A historical must

This book is a necessity for anyone with even a passing interest in the Crusades. Everything is put into historical context and much effort is done to remove modern interpretations in favor of actual historical accounts.

I cannot suggest this book enough.

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2 people found this helpful

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  • 09-19-19

Valuable review of the Crusades.

Fascinating account of the Crusades. Addressed many issues that I often wondered about. Good balance between details and lively flow of the narrative.

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1 person found this helpful

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A book that shows the True side of History!

I always was curious on how the Crusades happened, and the significance of to two giants clashing in a historical fiction that truly did change social and political views that did lead to the age of the Renaissance age.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting Spin...

He claimed to be unbiased but clearly is sympathetic to muslims being killed but non-Christians...

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great book, but layers can get overwhelming

The book was engaging, well read and deeply informative, taking the listener through 200 years of cultural, political, diplomatic, merchant and of course military history, with lengthy discussions of political and cultural realities alongside battle tactics. The only flaw is that it can get bogged down in names and places, and sometimes you can find yourself months or even years removed from where you last had a firm grasp of the narrative. Some action is sped up so much that it can be a jarring and hard to follow as the book breezes through a period, only to suddenly slow down again.

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an interesting and enticing history of the crusade

This is an excellent book for anyone looking to learn more about the crusades or world history in general. I think the author did a great job of presenting a broad picture while injecting granular details at the right moments without overwhelming or boring the reader. The narrator's smooth voice made it easy to continue all the way through this book.

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Interesting and informative!

I enjoyed this from beginning to end! I came in with a basic understanding of the Crusades, but got to hear an in depth, enlightening recounting of both the ideological and human elements of The Crusades.

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Great narration & historical presentation

The historical material, which encompassed a very long and complex period of time, was presented in such an engrossing manner. The narration of this literary work was also performed fantastically. The compilation of so much information would have been a tremendous undertaking. There was so much detail in this treatise on the Crusades that I think I need to listen to the entire thing all over again in order to absorb it all. And doing so immediately following listening to it the first time won't become even the slightest bit dull.

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