The Crusaders

Rating:
Summary: Short, sweet and highly informative
Review: This excellent look at four of the Christian Crusades is remarkable for its brevity and thoroughness. The author does a remarkable job covering both the political and military aspects of the selected crusades, including the disastrous foray into Egypt by the French Monarch Louis the IX.

It is nice to see a historian who is unafraid to place history in a modern context, and Professor Hously is unabashed in his concern as shown in his preface:

"Crusader" is an abused term these days. Whenever anti-terrorist initiatives involve military action anywhere in the Muslim world, the media imitate governmental officials and call them crusades. Osama bin Laden has even made this kind of ersatz crusading into an interfaith enterprise with his assertion that allied troops in Afghanistan are "the new Jewish and Christian Crusader campaign that is led by the Chief Crusader Bush under the banner of the Cross."

For hardcore historians this book is a light snack with larger courses due to follow. For the historical hobbyists out there, this is an excellent way to get acquainted with historical events that are affecting world politics in the modern era.