First Crusader: Byzantium's Holy Wars
by Geoffrey Regan
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"Traditionally, the word "Crusades" has referred to the wars fought by the West after the late eleventh century to recover the Holy Land from Muslim domination. Geoffrey Regan, however, takes a new and controversial view of the Crusades. Challenging the view that the term "Crusade" is only appropriate to western or Latin Christianity, Regan argues that the true first crusaders came from the East several centuries before. His new look at this period shows that the Crusades cannot be fully show more understood without studying the epic story of the struggle between the Christian Byzantine Empire and its "infidel" neighbors. Regan's story begins in the seventh century with the conquest by the Persians of much of the Byzantine Empire; Jerusalem itself was seized in a terrible massacre during which the Holy Sepulchre was destroyed and the True Cross, Christianity's most important relic, was taken back to Persia. At this moment of crisis, the great emperor Heraclius came from Africa to save Christianity and the Byzantine Empire." "First Crusader is the first account in English of these "first Crusaders." It is a dramatic and epic story of adventure and heroism which easily rivals that of the better known western crusades. Skillfully written by a master of narrative history, Regan's new work is an entertaining and challenging reinterpretation of one of the key events of the Middle Ages."--Jacket. show lessTags
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I found this was the kind of history book that delivers fact with the readability of fiction. The facts were well conveyed and plentiful but it was the author's narrative that took me along on Emperor Heraclius' ascension to the purple of Byzantium and subsequent epic wars.
The author's argument that Heraclius' wars with the burgeoning Arabian peoples, recently united by Islam, were in effect the first of the crusades is compelling, highlighting Christianity's firm grip on the hearts of the Byzantine people and the emperor's use of this devotion.
The difficulties the empire faced in his time are laid bare in the text and this serves to magnify the intriguing mix of shrewdness and at times almost classical heroism in Heraclius' actions.
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Well worth a read (though hard to get a hold of). show less
The author's argument that Heraclius' wars with the burgeoning Arabian peoples, recently united by Islam, were in effect the first of the crusades is compelling, highlighting Christianity's firm grip on the hearts of the Byzantine people and the emperor's use of this devotion.
The difficulties the empire faced in his time are laid bare in the text and this serves to magnify the intriguing mix of shrewdness and at times almost classical heroism in Heraclius' actions.
show more
Well worth a read (though hard to get a hold of). show less
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Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
- DDC/MDS
- 949.5013 — History & geography History of Europe Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria Greece and the Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire -- 323-1453 Greek revivial 323-716
- LCC
- DF574 .R44 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Greece History of Greece Medieval Greece. Byzantine Empire, 323-1453 History Eastern Empire, 323/476-1057. Constantine the Great
- BISAC
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- 47
- Popularity
- 639,238
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.08)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
