Review "A very useful resource, especially, but by no means exclusively, in school and college libraries...these books offer very useful standardised accounts and are presented in very attractive and approachable volumes." -"Reference Reviews Synopsis The first of its kind, a unique exploration of the history of human conflict, Essential Histories is the most comprehensive and fascinating study of human conflict ever undertaken. Leading historians from around the world have been commissioned to write 42 accessible and definitive guides to every major war throughout history, with an emphasis on the people who fought and the impact on the world at large. Eyewitness accounts are used to give a "soldier's-eye view" of the conflict and expose the reality of the battlefield. Illustrated with colour photographs and maps throughout, Essential Histories will provide for a deepened understanding of the nature of war and human history. The Series Editor of Essential Histories is Professor Robert O'Neill, Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford University. See all Product description
D**T
Five Stars
This is an outstanding erudite book Enough said!
J**P
I found this book very interesting, as i am ...
I found this book very interesting , as i am very much into the Crusades. This just added to my knowlege of them.
D**K
Three Stars
Bit disjointed, needed a clearer continuous narative
T**D
A valuable summary of the key events and useful background for those who do not want too much ...
A valuable summary of the key events and useful background for those who do not want too much in depth.
G**W
Today's Stories....Yesterdays events.
For those in denial, i.e. what happened 1000, years ago means nothing now, really need to read this book. Imagine a time when Christian and Muslim lived if not peacefully, at least comfortably with each other. Imagine then that a bunch of extremists, decided to change that situation and wanted everything for themselves... That is what happened all those hundreds of years back, except the extremists were not followers of Mohammed but followers of the Pope. This book, whilst not in depth, does at least cover the crusades in a balanced way, in a clever and informative way.. Each Essentials History follows a similar outline. An overview, a breakdown of the key moments and a focus on participants, not always the ones you would expect as say Richard the Lionheart of Saladin. Quite literally today's events were set in motion around the 12th-14 centuries. This book takes you through the 5 crusades, with illustrative maps, though on Kindle they can seem a little crowded and confusing, but doesn't just reflect on the crusades but also references cultural awareness, and lessons learnt and brought back by the crusaders... This book is really an introduction or taster rather than a full blown reporting of the crusades there are other books that do that and indeed I have since downloaded to read further.... There is nothing really about the tragic Childrens crusade and brief mention of a pre-crusade,but if you thought the crusades were all about Richard the Lionheart and the power of Christians over heathen, or even that the crusades were all set in the Holy Lands this is a good and easy book to read.
D**K
Excellent reference work
This is an excellent reference work for the cultural and historical impact of the crusades on Arab culture. References from diverse sources, including art, architecture, literature and history are drawn together and effectively synthesised. This work is particularly strong on the impact of the major crusading period (1099 - 1291) and the impact of the Franks on Islamic culture. This is an exceptional work, providing a very broad panorama with some depth of relevant detail.
