Seven Great Books on the Crusades 

You should probably do a top ten worst list of writers on the crusades.

I couldn't find 'What Were the Crusades?' at the university library, but I did find Johnathan Riley-Smith's'The Crusades: A Short History', as well as 'The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades', by Jonathan Riley-Smith and a selection of other historians. You know, it's funny. I'm only 14 pages into the work, and I'm already seeing contradictions between what I was taught in a basic world civilization course and what he states about the Crusades. My professor argued that the knights went on the crusades to find treasure, acquire wealth, etc. She also argued that Saladin was much more virtuous than the Christians were. Of course, the knights went to the Holy Land at great cost to themselves, their benefactors, and their families. I'm so angry that I'm lied to on a repeated basis about the actual history of the West. It just infuriates me. On a side note, is there anyway you can do a video on the poetry of the Crusades or about the music that was influenced by the movements?

Thanks! It's so good to hear the Crusades praised, instead of being bashed.

Rest in peace, Jonathan Riley Smith. You will be sorely missed.

It is kind of a cool idea. Although honestly, the Jews were pretty passive figures in Crusades history. They had virtually no political power and they were pretty much just shoved around by the Christians and Muslims. Things have really changed, with a Jewish state of Israel now existing in our world.

That is a very interesting topic, the Inquisition. Like the Crusades, it has been greatly misunderstood.

Good to see a mention of Tyerman. "God's War" has a deep philosophical tone that only the best history books have.

I really enjoy "Crusades" by Zoe Ouldenborg. Although it is older, written in the 1960s it is unusually balanced for the times. In particular, Ouldenborg does not shy away from Saladin's brutality, particularly when he ruled egypt,, which often get glossed over in other sources.

Another fantastic book: First Crusade: the iron men and saints by Harold lamb

I'm a little late to the channel but thank you for the videos! They are informative and it's great to see others as interested in history as I am. Keep up the awesome work!

You should do an updated version of this video.

Here are a few more: The Crusades: The Essential Readings by Thomas Madden, Fighting for the cross : crusading to the Holy Land / Norman Housley, The First Crusade and the idea of crusading / Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Crusades: A Reader by S.J. Allen and Emilie Amt and on the military orders; The Knights Hospitaller in the Levant, c.1070-1309 by Riley Smith and The new knighthood : a history of the Order of the Temple / Malcolm Barber

Yes I'm also soooooo amazed at the interest !!! So lovely thank you !!

Hello, I am doing a paper on the Crusades and so far have learned so much from your videos and now have a great selection of books to use in my research. Thank you for putting this together. Because this video is several years old I would like to know if you have since updated your list. Again, thank you!

also the inquisition happened after the reconquest where having a unified front against the moors was a neccessity. Having a unified country was indespensible to solidifying the gains made by the reconquest. Religion and language are the two most important unifying factors in building a successfull nation sate.

I’m certainly glad for your posts. I studied the crusades years ago and will try to study them. Many people still feel like they were not anything but power for the pope.

Thanks for naming the scholars and for your videos - i always had the feeling that most current documentaries seem implausibly one-sided - but maybe its an ideological topic on both sides - have you heard the "in our time" BBC podcast, whrere Jon Riley Smith "debates" Tarequ Ali?

This is the book that changed My view from the general bias taught in school; ''God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades''. A lot of valid points, also heavy on sources. Wonder if you have read or heard of it?

I just scored a hardback of "God's War" on Amazon!!! 👏

Nice video! Looks like I got some reading to do!

Well, this is my weekend gone. (In a good way).

I have read two of the books you recommended. The Reconquest and Crusade in medieval Spain was excellent. I consider Spain to be of greater strategic importance than the Holy Land. It was only after the Reconquest of Spain that the Discovery of America was possible. With the discovery of America, the trans-Atlantic trade brought prosperity to Europe. With prosperity came economic power, the source of military power. Also please recommend a book on the Siege of Vienna in 1683.

would you guys say that it is possible to wirte totally or at least almost unbiased history? I have now consumed some stuff by Thomas Madden about crusades, inquisition and other aspects of church history - an accredited and I think also somewhat renowned historian which's positons are compareably favourable to the Catholic Church - I have also heard other scholars framing the issues not as favourably - of course that does in no way make Madden a bad scholar or something - but maybe in such a messy field as history , where everything hangs on interpretion and hypothesis-testing is mostly not an option, it is much harder / almost impossible to transcendend cultural and individual biases.

Have you read "Warriors of God" by James Reston Jr? If so, what did you think of it?

hi, what are your thoughts about the crusades by thomas asbridge?

It's more or less the same thing with the Salem Witch Trials. Only a few hundred to thousand were burned.

Could you do a full video on how Stephen Runciman was debunked?

Thanks dude!

God wills it!

Im looking for a information of Iberia and the Templars there, thats Iberia at the Black sea, not spain. Finding material on the subject seems to be overly scarce.

Any good books about the crusades/wars against the Ottoman Empire?

Hey RCH, do you recommend any other books that you didn't show on screen?

Thank you I just want straight facts I'll make my own opinions after years and years of digging in.

Are you familiar with the book God Wills It! by Wayne Bartlett? Its the only comprehensive work on the Crusades I've read, and that was many years ago. If you are familiar with that book or its author, do you have an opinion on it?

what about Malcolm Barber: 'The New Knighthood'?

Missed Asbridge and Phillips

So, Runciman's book on the Fall of Constantinople is no good?

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner...

You forgot the two most influential thinkers: Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.

Also, I found concise history by madden for free on Google. Cool. What about Kenneth M Settons works and volumes?