The Crusades were penitential war-pilgrimages fought in the Levant and the eastern Mediterranean; as well as in North Africa; Spain; Portugal; Poland; the Baltic region; Hungary; the Balkans; and Western Europe. Beginning in the eleventh century and ending as late as the eighteenth; these holy wars were waged against Muslims and other enemies of the Church; enlisting generations of laymen and laywomen to fight for the sake of Christendom.Crusading features prominently in today's religio-political hostilities; yet the perceptions of these wars held by Arab nationalists; pan-Islamists; and many in the West have been deeply distorted by the language and imagery of nineteenth-century European imperialism. With this book; Jonathan Riley-Smith returns to the actual story of the Crusades; explaining why and where they were fought and how deeply their narratives and symbolism became embedded in popular Catholic thought and devotional life. From this history; Riley-Smith traces the legacy of the Crusades into modern times; specifically within the attitudes of European imperialists and colonialists and within the beliefs of twentieth-century Muslims. Europeans fashioned an interpretation of the Crusades from the writings of Walter Scott and a French contemporary; Joseph-François Michaud. Scott portrayed Islamic societies as forward-thinking; while casting Christian crusaders as culturally backward and often morally corrupt. Michaud; in contrast; glorified crusading; and his followers used its imagery to illuminate imperial adventures. These depictions have had a profound influence on contemporary Western opinion; as well as on Muslim attitudes toward their past and present. Whether regarded as a valid expression of Christianity's divine enterprise or condemned as a weapon of empire; crusading has been a powerful rhetorical tool for centuries. In order to understand the preoccupations of Islamist jihadis and the character of Western discourse on the Middle East; Riley-Smith argues; we must understand how images of crusading were formed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
#372918 in Books 2009-03-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.10 x .60 x 5.40l; .65 #File Name: 0231133839256 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Victor Mair meets Sun TzuBy Erik C. PihlSun Tzu's writing is notorious for its opaqueness. In this translation; Sinologist Victor Mair creates not only a readable piece of work; but one that is comprehensible (relatively speaking; of course). As a person who has read several translations of this work; including the one by Lionel Giles; I believe that it is perhaps not the best translation for a beginner; (Minton's is probably better for that); but it certainly is the best one for a continuing study of this important; enigmatic work. This translation should be in the library of anyone interested in the philosophical underpinnings of armed conflict.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Some translations are ridiculous. Saving grace in the detailed footnotesBy EugeneThe book does well in its attempt to provide historical details. The footnotes are informative which are best used with the Lionel Giles translation. However; some translation which Lionel Giles has done well for e.g "have heard of stupid haste in war but cleverness has never been associated with delays" which just means to say : War should be gotten over with quickly. However. if it is conducted quickly in haste without a well though plan; then it is a stupid haste. The stupidity of fighting in a haste does not allude you to being clever if you take your time in doing so.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Read for the quotes.By john erleyI was told to read this for business. It is more philosophy than anything. Great quotes. Great book.
