Once More into the Breach

Thomas Madden, one of North America's leading scholars of the Crusades, has a new book about them coming out next month. Those most misunderstood and tendentiously treated of events will be examined anew in The Concise History of the Crusades (Rowman and Littlefield, 2013), 264pp.).

About this book the publisher tells us:

What is the relationship between the medieval crusades and the problems of the modern Middle East? Were the crusades the Christian equivalent of Muslim jihad? In this sweeping yet crisp history, Thomas Madden offers a brilliant and compelling narrative of the crusades and their contemporary relevance. Placing all the major crusades within their medieval social, economic, religious, and intellectual environments, Madden explores the uniquely medieval world that led untold thousands to leave their homes, family, and friends to march in Christ’s name to distant lands. From Palestine and Europe's farthest reaches, each crusade is recounted in a clear, concise narrative. The author gives special attention as well to the crusades’ effects on the Islamic world and the Christian Byzantine East.