Type of bind: Hardcover
EAN num: 9780563370079
Format: Import
ISBN number: 0563370076
Label: BBC BOOKS
Manufacturer: BBC BOOKS
Page Count: 256
Printing Date: 1994
Publishing house: BBC BOOKS
Sale Popularity Level: 2918422
Studio: BBC BOOKS
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
This documentary is funny and informative about the Crusades. The narrator (Terry Jones) and his team took a journey following the same path taken earlier by the Crusaders. This documentary shows brutality, horrors, and massacres committed by Crusaders against fellow Christians and against Muslims in Palestine. It is a good documentary telling the story of the crusaders in a non-boring style.
Rated by buyers 
-
Nice introduction to this history block. Good use of the the opposing (Islamic) sides views. Nice use of technology and side cultural notes. Disagree with some of his comments; I am not apologist for the pure mercenary members of the Crusades or methods but I see the political side of his view of history. His views are well known about the Global War on Terror from his editorials in the Guardian. He like many Muslims are still hung on the Crusades and use it as an excuse for their presnt actions.
Rated by buyers 
-
Terry Jones's The Crusades is everything that a good documentary should not be. In brief, it is filled with misrepresentations and factual errors, and it perpetuates myths that were discredited long ago--in some cases several generations ago. The video program is based largely on a superficial and somewhat erroneous reading of Steven Runciman's three-volume history of the crusades, which was revolutionary when it appeared over a half century ago but which has been superceded and even discredited, in part, by what has been an almost tidal wave of crusade scholarship over the past 30 years or more.
The worst part of the video program is its treatment of the Fourth Crusade (2002-2004). Put bluntly, Jones gets the story woefully wrong to the point that anyone who views this section of the program uncritically will come away totally misinformed. But even before we reach the early thirteenth century, errors abound. One gets the impression that Jones is not really interested in sober history. Rather, he is content with cheap jokes. When he has to choose between a supposedly funny line or scene or a more prosaic historical fact, he invariably chooses the former.
It is a shame that buffoonery is allowed to trump history. The complex, multilayered story of the crusades is fascinating in its tragedy and even darkly humorous in its ironies. Unfortunately, Jones's endeavor at burlesque has led only to distortion.
Actually, I used to have my students in an upper-division, university-level course on the crusades view this program outside of class and to write reviews of it. Their reviews were, on the whole, even more damning than this review.
Rated by buyers -
Since seeing this back in the 90's there has not really been a better way to show biggest holy mess in time itself.
Terry Jones is a class act at taking us though those dark years. Along with France & England and others we see our great knights & local folk take up arms and ride off or walk to destroy all. Really in the end it was mass murder in a scale unseen. Eating babies and drinking horse blood are just some of the tales of wow.
The fine details I leave to Mr Jones to tell you but as history goes it's a must know.
Rated by buyers -
Bringing in Terry Jones to take a look at the Crusades was a bit of good casting. Jones' quirky humour, pleasant presentation skills and somewhat humorous outlook on things make this an informative and entertaining DVD.
Some have accused the series of being "anti-Church" or biased against the Europeans to an unnecessary degree. Let's face it, the church and Europe probably deserves some bagging over its actions concerning the Crusades. Also, considering that the series uses some very well-respected experts in the field, the accusations are not entirely well-founded. Yes, most of the Crusaders were violent people and more than a little superstitious. Also, while good at warfare, they still lost. The reasons for losing were possibly the disastrous political decisions the leaders made at times, among other things.
Along with the interviews with different experts, the re-enactments of some of the aspects of the Crusades made for some interesting and entertaining viewing. There is also some presence of the primary sources, quotes from people who were there and saw what was happening, (albeit with the characteristic "miraculous element").
The documentary is well presented, accurate from what I have read and know of the Crusades themselves, (I am not an expert, however), and very enjoyable to watch. It is not all that detailed, but serves well as an easy introduction to an intriguing period in history.
Find other books like this one:
