Subjects:  1. Crusades    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Medieval    6. Middle East - General    7. Military - General    8. History / Medieval   

Reviews (21)

My 105 year old Grandfather gives it two thumbs up!
My family did have an ancestor who fought in one of the Crusades, and as a result, King James gave us our family motto and heraldry in 1607.For a while, I didn't know what to do with this information: hang my head in shame, or be proud of a unique heritage.
Why Care About The Crusades?
I read this in "lecture form" as a book on tape.I assume the book is similer to the lecture series.The Crusades are "ancient history" and have no bearing on the modern world, right?Wrong!The present situation in Israel and The Holy Land is similer in many ways to the situation back in about 1100AD when The Crusades started.In fact, it seems that we are still fighting "the crusades" even to this very day!It helps put the present situation in historical perspective to read this book.You will understand the present situation better after reading this book. Recommended highly.Email: boland7214@aol.co

fantastic book
it's like LA confidential, they throw a lot of names at you, but if you are smart, it is a REALLY GOOD book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crusades    2. General    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History: World    6. Medieval    7. Military - General    8. History / Europe / General    9. History / General    10. World history: c 500 to C 1500   

Subjects:  1. 476-1492    2. Europe    3. Europe - General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Medieval    8. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    9. European history: c 500 to c 1500    10. History / Europe / General   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Rome    2. Empire, 284-476    3. Germanic Invasions, 3rd-6th centuries    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Medieval    8. Rome    9. Western Europe - General    10. History / Ancient / Rome    11. History, World | Ancient | Roman   

Reviews (34)

Provocative, appealing and controversial
Fomenko has succeeded to convincingly demonstrate the misconception about what "history" factually is... It is fiction and -like we can read and judge for ourselves- no science. It indeed is "make belief" only. I "discovered" Fomenko while studying the "old" history of Al Andaluz, Spain. Having found too many contradictions in available data, having seen too many forgeries as to pretend the importance of christianity for its decline, I ventured out to find Fomenko, who convinced me that we know little if anything for sure of the epoch before the XI-century. However, the integration of the Arabic-Islamic cultural history into the heavily distorted Western fails... There are some attempts to fit "the budding new religion" (Islam) into Fomenko's scheme, but they are too weak to be taken seriously and too often focussing on Turkey as the region where things started to influence the West, which is untrue at all.
pharaohs lived in the 3rd century AD
Traces of white wine were found in Tutankhamen's tomb however there were no record of white wine in Egypt until the 3rd century AD, 1600 years after the young pharaoh died according to the traditional chronology. http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18925395.400
Immensely stimulating!
Fomenko's thesis that all of ancient history was either invented during the Renaissance or at least only based on recent medieval events provided me with an enormous trigger "to see for myself". Having been interested in history for a number of decades, but having got tired of always the same topics in only a new jacket, Fomenko's book opened wide avenues to study new topics to test the author's thesis. To give just some examples: medieval history of the Middle East (Islamic history), the history of the Mongols, Tamerelane, the Ottoman empire; the origins of Christianity and Islam, the development of cartography, language, technology, astronomy.
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Civilization    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Medieval    7. Study & Teaching    8. History of science    9. Science / History   

Reviews (43)

Koestler Reveals Mistaken Heritage of Displaced Khazars
If some Chinese leaders decide to be Religious and
Khazar
The book delivered the information I was looking for.There were times that I got lost trying to follow the nomadic patterns of the tribe.Overall, the book is a good read, and I recommend it to others.

Historically Interesting, Conclusion Value Poor
From circa 700 ce to 1100 ce, there was a Khazar Empire that existed north of the Caucasus Mts between the Black and Caspian Seas, that controlled the Volga-Don River portage.They were a bullwark against tribes moving east to the Ukraine and the European plains; against the moslems moving north from Persia; and the Viking-Rus moving south from Muscovy/Kiev.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History: World    3. Judaism - History    4. Khazars    5. Medieval    6. Eastern Europe    7. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    8. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

María Rosa Menocal's wafting, ineffably sad Read more

Reviews (51)

A Forgotten Chapter in European History
Maria Rosa Menocal's ORNAMENT OF THE WORLD is a lively and highly readable account of Al-Andalus, the Spain created by Muslims. It was a world which sparkled with brilliant achievements in poetry and literature, architecture, and technology-- for instance it invented the astrolabe, one of the first instruments facilitating successful navigation. It alone kept Greek learning alive when the rest of Europe was still ignorant of the major Greek classics. Most importantly, it was an oasis of tolerance, for its Muslim leaders considered the adherents of all three Abrahamic religions to be dhimmi, or People of the Book.It was founded in 711 when Abd al Rahman, successor of the Umayyad dynasty driven from Damascus by the victorious Abbasid dynasty, established a new caliphate in Cordoba, Spain.For centuries the empire it unified on the Iberian peninsula produced great writers and scholars of all three religions.Perhaps the best known Muslim product of this culture is Ibn Hazm, author of the Ring of the Dove, a treatise on love.But it was also a golden age of Jewish learning, and an age in which Jews could rise to the highest positions in government as well-- for instance Hasdai ibn Shaprut, or Son of Isaac, grand vizier and general of Abd Al Rahman III.By the 11th Century the unified kingdom of Cordoba had broken apart into a number of competing taifa or city-states, which retained some measure of the glory of Cordoba.It was in this atmosphere that Rodrigo Diaz, known as El Cid from the Arabic Al Sayyid ("lord" or "chief"), a Christian warrior, became a general fighting for one Muslim ruler against another with armies which contained large contingents of Christians.The first groups to try to stamp out this cultural tolerance were Muslims, puritanical and uncultivated Berbers known as Almovarids or Almohads.But the real death knell came in 1492, when Ferdinand and Isabella conquered the last Muslim taifa of Granada, site of the famous Alhambra, and established a form of persecution even worse than religious bigotry, with the most ominous implications for the future of Western civilization.But that dismal turn of events is the subject for another book review.

Rosa's rose-colored glasses
Elegantly written and copiously researched but when considered against a slew of other popular works, Professor Menocal's tome is an overly exuberent romanticization of Islamic Spain (al-Andalus). al-Andalus had its epoch of extraordinary brilliance, most notably in the rise of the Cordoba Caliphate but this shining moment quickly dissipated by the early century 11th century. Its demise heralded a 400 year descent into civil war, chaos and the arrival of Islamist fundamentalism in the guise of the Almohads and Almoravids, spiritual predecessors of Salafists/Wahabis and al Qaeda. So severe and intolerant was their programme that they scattered not only Jews and Christians but drove away many Muslims not meeting "muster". The book would be a benign literary excess were the subject not so topical. Islamists the world over yearn for, among other things, a victorious return to al-Andalus. Waxing poetic about a perfection that never was only feeds the fantasies of radicals and disarms those well-meaning readers in the West most likely to lose out. For a better balanced, equally erudite and far more sober look, consider "Moorish Spain" by Richard Fletcher.

An ornament, worthy of 5 stars
This book possesses the characteristics of a novel rather than a book of history in many ways. The author describes and narrates historical events, personalities and notions in a very delicate, riveting, and beautiful manner yet maintaining a plain language and thus addresses all levels of intellectual capacity among readers.
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Subjects:  1. Christians    2. Europe - Spain & Portugal    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Medieval    7. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    8. Muslims    9. Spain    10. Toleration    11. Western Europe - General    12. European history: c 500 to c 1500    13. History / Medieval    14. Interfaith relations    15. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (2)

Challenging Theory
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of the Americas, colonial history or comparative studies of the American countries. Although it is based largely on secondary sources it reflects the enormous amount of work that the author has carried out in his previous books on Spain. The most interestin feature of the book is how Elliott points out the similarities between the British and Spanish Empires in the Americas; a fact that most historians have previously tended to ignore.

An important contribution
Colonialism and Empire are the two most important subjects in history, no other subject exists without them and the discovery of the New World and its repopulation/depopulation is one fo the great episodes of human history.The colonies in America can be easily put into two categories, the Anglo ones and the Catholic ones.Despite small French and Portugues and Dutch intrusions, the overall lesson is one of difference between these two great naval powers and the makeup of their colonial systems.
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Subjects:  1. America    2. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    3. Atlantic Ocean Region    4. British    5. Colonies    6. Colonies And Colonization    7. Europe - Great Britain - General    8. Europe - Spain & Portugal    9. History    10. History - General History    11. History: American    12. North America - History    13. Spain    14. Spaniards    15. United States - Colonial Period    16. World - Colonial Studies    17. Empires & historical states    18. History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies)    19. USA    20. United Kingdom, Great Britain    21. World history: c 1500 to c 1750    22. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    23. World history: c 500 to C 1500   

Editorial Review

It speaks to the failure of medieval Europe, writes popular historian William Manchester, that"in the year 1500, after a thousand years of neglect, the roads built by the Romans were still the beston the continent." European powers were so absorbed in destroying each other and in suppressingpeasant revolts and religious reform that they never quite got around to realizing the possibilities ofcontemporary innovations in public health, civil engineering, and other peaceful pursuits. Instead, theywaged war in faraway lands, created and lost fortunes, and squandered millions of lives. For all thewastefulness of medieval societies, however, Manchester notes, the era created the foundation for theextraordinary creative explosion of the Renaissance. Drawing on a cast of characters numbering in thehundreds, Manchester does a solid job of reconstructing the medieval world, although some scholars maydisagree with his interpretations. ... Read more

Reviews (172)

Not for the squeamish
This is an excellent book in many ways. However, the author goes into far more detail that the average reader will want to know regarding the depravity of the age and methods of torture in use back then.The title is not just about illuminating a room.It also refers to the numerous people in this book who are burned at the stake.

Manchester Lit Up The Pages
In the book A World Lit Only By Fire, Manchester discusses the impact of the Dark Ages, the Medieval period, and the Renaissance as each had a major influence on Europe. The significance of this book is to develop knowledge of society and its characteristics during these eras. Throughout the book Manchester mainly talks about the history of the Roman Catholic Church and the quest of Ferdinand Magellan. The book is separated into three parts: The Medieval Mind, The Shattering and One Man Alone. Which give a detailed description of the figures that played a major role in society and whose actions and personality stood out above all. All three sections discuss the changes that occurred at the time and the effect they had on the people. A World Lit Only By Fire broadens the reader's understanding of European society, religion, exploration, and how each impacted and influenced history.
review by Richelle
William Manchester's A World Lit Only by Fire illustrates to the reader the main events starting from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, thus allowing the reader to learn more about these time periods. Manchester not only writes about the main events, but he is able to catch the reader's attention with interesting and unexpected facts so the book does not completely sound like a history book. This books shows that a book cannot be judged by its cover because the title may seem to be one of a book which talks about the whole world, when it really only talks about Europe. The book tries to include most of the important historical figures of this time period such as: Sir Thomas More, John Alvin, Erasmus, and Henry VIII, but unfortunately Martin Luther and Magellan are talked about the most so it seems the writer is biased and favors these two men. This book can be seen as an introduction to the period of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, but it is really a brief history book discussing the lack of achievements in the Middle Ages, different aspects of the Renaissance, especially the Church, and Magellan's travels, which help broaden the reader's knowledge and at the same time might bore him or her.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Medieval    6. Renaissance    7. History / General    8. Lancashire    9. Local history   

Reviews (14)

Agincourt: A great medieval battle in France leads Henry V of England to greatness
Agincourt is the lastest book by noted Bronte biographer Juliet Barker. Barker received her Ph.D. from Oxford in Medieval History; needless to say she is an expert on Agincourt!
Excellent history; the first "band of brothers"
If you can set aside the Hollywood and Shakespearean versions of Henry V for a few hours and immerse yourself in the details of the complete campaign in France in 1415, starting with the ascension of the young king and running through to hints of the eventual outcomes of the war (think Joan of Arc and some rare French victories in revenge), you will find an exhaustive, at times exhausting account of piety, intrigue, treachery, treason, courage, leadership and good, old-fashioned battlefield management.
Clears up a lot of misconseptions
Most of our perceptions, if not knowledge, of the battle at Agincourt come from Branagh's 1989 film of Shakespeare's Henry V. But that perception is limited. The film makes it appear that there was a small group of buddies out to resist the not much bigger French forces.
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Subjects:  1. 1066-1485    2. 1387-1422    3. Agincourt, Battle of, Agincourt, France, 1415    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. Great Britain    6. Henry    7. History    8. History - Military / War    9. History, Military    10. History: World    11. King of England,    12. Medieval    13. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    14. Military - Other    15. Military History - Medieval    16. Western Europe - General    17. History / Europe / Western   

Reviews (5)

Neglected History
For many of us in the West, Byzantium is an exotic mystery. Colin Wells opens up this mystery by outlining the crucial role of Byzantium in transmitting ancient Greek culture to three civilizations: the West, the Slavic East, and Islam. There is much in this history that is of relevance today as we reflect on the different roles played by these three civilizations that were shaped by Byzantium. Yes, the myriad of unfamiliar names and places are at times overwhelming; but Wells provides a list of major characters in his history to help the reader, along with a chronology and plenty of maps. For me and I suspect many others, this book opens up a previously neglected but crucial part of our history.

A Lot of History in a Small Book
While reading this book, I was overwhelmed by the density of names and events that grace almost every page of this scholarly work; it was rather confusing for me at times and required that I drastically slow down my reading pace in order to be able to follow what was happening and the sequence of events. This is most likely because of my nearly total lack of knowledge of detailed Byzantine history - religious, political, philosophical, social, cultural, literary and military - and its very numerous and important participants. Consequently, this book has much to teach people like me; I, for one, have learned much from it. This book appears to be a labor of love for the author who is obviously very well-versed in this branch of history. The writing style is quite clear and, despite the density of information, engaging. It would likely be of most interest to serious history buffs that have had previous exposure to, and an intense interest in, Byzantine history.

OUTSIDE IN
If you feel an unsatisfied curiosity about Byzantium, this book is actually a good place to start, precisely because it works from the outside, focussing on the external outreach whereby Byzantine language, culture, and literature reached Italy (sparking the Renaissance), the Muslim world, and the embryonic Slavic world. Underneath that story, the ebb and flow of Byzantium's fortunes, its dark age, and its periods of renaissant literature and religion are sketched lightly but vividly by Wells. This book offers a painless way to get your feet wet in this subject by placing it in a broader world context. After, you're ready for Cyril Mango's superb thematic intro "Byzantium" followed by the historical surveys of John Julius Norwich (short in one volume or long in two). Then, if you're still on board, you can dive into the deep waters of the great John Meyendorff ("Byzantine Theology" and others). Byzantium has been well studied since the 1950s; this book by Colin Wells will serve as your way in. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Byzantine Empire    3. Byzantine Empire - History    4. Byzantine influences    5. Civilization, Islamic    6. Civilization, Slavic    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    10. History: World    11. Medieval    12. World - General    13. History / Ancient / General   

Reviews (3)

A Window on the Past...
This extraordinary book and its companion volume, "The Craft of Thought," represent the most thorough, complete and accurate treatment of the arts of memory available in English. If you have a good academic vocabulary and a latin dictionary handy, this is quite a page turner. It gives you a look inside the heads of ancient and medieval scholars, whose imaginary "memory machines" are conceptual forerunners to the random-access memory in modern computers. Its themes are also a revelation to anyone interested in medieval art history. For example, after reading this, one realizes that medieval manuscripts were colorfully illuminated for the purposes of recollection, not just to make pretty pictures in the margins. This work expands and corrects some of the conclusions of Frances Yates in her pioneering work, "The Art of Memory." This is an intellectual thrill ride!

fine academic work
I agree with the reader from New York who praises the scholarship on display here from Prof. Carruthers.Memory, so long a darling subject among intellectual elites, has fallen out of favor among modern intellectuals.Carruthers does an admirable job of re-locating it on our cultural maps. Comprehensive and well-written academic text
Carruthers's *Book of Memory* deals with the ways reading, composition, and memory interacted in the Middle Ages. She explores the way texts were used as memory tools or mnemonic devices by medieval readers. Texts, sheargues, were not meant to be simply informational. Instead, readers andlisteners used mnemonic skills to store the information gleaned from textsin their minds and use that information as the matter for futurecomposition or meditation. Carruthers's writing is clear and informative.This text is comprehensive, often fascinating, and displays the author'svast knowledge of her subject matter. I would highly recommend this book toanyone interested in expanding his or her understanding of memory andcomposition in the Middle Ages. However, this book is not for everyone. Itis very dense and goes into great technical detail about its subjectmatter. Students of medieval language and history will find it most useful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Literary Criticism    5. Medieval    6. Europe    7. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    8. Literary studies: classical, early & medieval    9. World history: c 500 to C 1500   

Reviews (87)

A Positive Portrait of Genghis Khan
Nomads and non-European conquerors do not fare well at the hands of Western historians. Genghis Khan fares about the worst of all.Weatherford sets the record straight. Genghis and his Mongol conquests were enormous and pieces of the empire he established endured in one form or another for seven centuries, the final coup de grace being the English outster of the Moguls in India in the 19th century.Rather than being a simple-minded raider the author portrays Genghis as a man ahead of his time in many ways: the art and science of war, religous tolerance, the creation of a meritocracy, and the overthrow of aristocracy. That Genghis Khan was brutal and violent is also brought out although the Mongols could hardly have been more cruel than their contemporaries in Medieval Europe, the Crusaders.
Interesting,but with a surprising number of factual errors
For the most part, I enjoyed this book.I discovered a great deal about the Mongols and I believe that the author proves his basic case that the Mongol Empire provided an unprecedented flow of goods and ideas between East and West.
Humanizes Genghis Khan, while detailing the avarice & brutality
I first encountered stories about the Golden Horde and the 13th century Mongol domination of the Russian principalities during my graduate studies on Russian history.Reflecting on how Russia, China, Turkey, Persia and many of the nations of the Arab world reached the 20th century in an apparently underdeveloped, and authoritarian, state, relative to the nations of Western Europe, I often thought that this could be traced back to the unfortunate intercession of the Mongols in each of these nations history 700 years ago.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Historical - General    5. History    6. History: World    7. Kings and rulers    8. Medieval    9. Mongols    10. ASIA    11. Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 500 to c 1500    12. Biography: historical    13. History / Asia    14. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (14)

Microhistory of the masses
Borne of the microhistory genre, "The Cheese and the Worms" provides a glimpse into the life of a miller in medieval Italy.No ordinary miller is 'Menocchio', however, as he is inquisitioned for his radical religious philosophies.In a time and place where Catholicism was undoubtedly the religion of Europe, Menocchio harbored unique ideas about religious doctrine, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and man's purpose.Although some of his many ideas contradict others that he had, he was well-read and surprisingly well-educated for a man of his station.As Ginzburg says, though, we must look to the Protestant Reformation and the invention of the printing press as being major catalysts for such learning and religious evolution.Within the microhistory genre, "The Cheese and the Worms" is most fascinating when we ask the question: Was this an isolated phenonmenon or was this a reflection of many people's views?The answer, I suppose, lies with Menocchio, but there is still much to be gleaned from this book.

Well written, fascinating tale
Description of a miller with an intresting ('modern') cosmological belief whose rebellion in thought is prosecuted by the Taliban of that time, the Roman Catholic Church. Forced to explain his nonAristotelian views (and, if Ginzburg is telling the truth, he responded extremely well to the inquisitors' questions!), the miller outwits his arrogant, narrow-minded judges and so wins the reward of torture and imprisonment, losing his wife, family, everything in the end. Galileo, who had a higher social position and powerful protectors, suffered no worse than house arrest, in comparison.

Keep this book in mind
Anytime you want to tell yourself that the Catholic Church isn't that bad, just keep this book in mind. It is just more proof that the church is the most corrupt institution in the history of time. . .with that in mind. The book is very interesting, it deals with the trial of a smart man at the time who was accused of heresy. So throughout the trial we begin to realize how well read this man is and how well he has developed his ideas. It is a good case study of the life of a common man in 1599. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Theology - Catholic    2. Europe - Italy    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Medieval    6. Modern World History (Circa 1450 To Present)    7. Reformation (1517-1648)    8. Blasphemy, heresy, apostasy    9. Italy    10. Mathematics / Applied    11. Social history   

Reviews (23)

Could not put this book down!
I lost sleep because of this book, LOL! Crowley packs his history of this important event with so much information that one gains a very clear impression of what transpired, as if from a bird's eye view. One gains as well a strong sense of the personalities of both Mehmet II and Constantine XI, as well as those of other key persons.
An amazing book from a modern Herodotus
Roger Crowley's amazing feat truly stands as a modern testament to great historical writing. Many of the other reviewers have already emphasized the lucid, insightful, and verily entertaining writing. Crowley handles his source material not just even-handedly and scientifically (like a historian should), but even artistically, making this not just great history but a great read as well! As Crowley himself puts it, his aim was "to capture the sound of human voices - to reproduce the words, prejudices, hopes, and fears of the protagonists firsthand - and to tell something of 'the story of the story'" (page 263 in the hardcover edition). Sharing "the story of the story" with their readers is something that, alas, many scholars omit in favor of dry lists of facts and analysis. Crowley transports the reader into a lost, forgotten world, resurrecting the past from the dust and ashes of time and space to speak vividly and directly for new generations.
The strategy of war in 1453
I enjoyed this book, and learned from it as well. The description of the siege was excellent: sufficient detail to provide context, not so much detail that the tempo was