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Watched a great documentary on PBS last night...very entertianing. It covered Saladin and King Richard I during the crusades of 1191 - 1192.
Does anyone know of any good books on the subject of the crusades, or King Richard I?
Requirements:
1. Can't read like a text book. ie: the author should have some flare for keeping the reader interested, instead of slowly killing them with boredom.
2. General Audience. I don't want to feel like I need a PhD in Medieval History to enjoy this book.
3. Accurate, but not overly detailed. Something fairly general maybe a bit on the specific side would be nice.
So...what does that give me?
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Magnus/Matt
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Greetings Magnus!
You might try this book:
Lionhearts: Richard I, Saladin, And The Era Of The Third Crusade
By Geoffrey Regan.
I found it to be an interesting and quick read. It has received generally good reviews though a couple of readers found it lacking. I am not an expert on the Middle Ages or the Crusades so I can not attest to the absolute accuracy but it did seem generally correct to me.
In fact, having read this book I found the PBS show you mention to be rather "lite" concerning the truly interesting aspects of these two remarkable warriors. Not that the PBS show was not good, I just wish it had gone into greater detail -- less show and more tell.
No doubt other members will have interesting book suggestions for you as well.
Good luck.
And Happy Birthday to Rome!
Narukami
David Reinke
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I suggest [amazon]joinville[/amazon]
This is first person narrative by people who were there.
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
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Magnus,
I highly recommend "Warriors of God : Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade" by James Reston, Jr. It's a fantastic book, fair and balanced for both sides, and reads more like a novel than a work of history. I couldn't put it down.
Enjoy!
Quinton
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Quinton Carr
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I would like to put forward the work of Sir Steven Runciman: The Crusades.
With reservations.
Runciman is an oldfashioned academic, and while he wrote for a general audience, his idea of a general audioence consisted of people educated in a school system where Classics, History and English Lit were major subjects. If you enmjoyed reading The lord of the Rings for its flavour and style, if you can imagine reading a three-decker novel with undivided attention, then this book is for you. It does not actually require you to know much in advance, but it expects you not to forget any person or fact once introduced (which can be a problem with family relations and marriages), and you need a broad vocabulary and love of rich prose.
I enjoyed it tremendously, and I read it before studying the period.
Der Kessel ist voll Bärks!
Volker Bach
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Something more broad than just the Crusades, I would try Eric Cline's Jerusalem Besieged. He is one of my professors, a very enthusiastic writer who covers the entire history of the city of Jerusalem through siege warfare. He devotes two or three chapters to Jerusalem in the crusades. Probably more specific than what you're looking for, but worth checking out if you want information on the the Roman siege of 70 AD as well, since we all can't get enough of Rome. Best of luck!
Gaius Tertius Severus "Terti" / Trey Starnes
"ESSE QUAM VIDERE"
