My co-worker Jared gave me a link to a fascinating interview with Rodney Stark author of God's Battalions: The Case for Crusades. It is very interesting and Stark pulls no punches. I read some of the reviews on Amazon and was unimpressed with those who assigned it one or two stars. The responses to those reviews are spot on. I'm going to order some copies for the store. If you're a regular customer and would like to see it when it comes in just let me know and I'll put one on hold for you.
Here's the link to the interview. Here's the book description from the publisher's website:
"In God's Battalions, award-winning author Rodney Stark takes on the long-held view that the Crusades were the first round of European colonialism, conducted for land, loot, and converts by barbarian Christians who victimized the cultivated Muslims. To the contrary, Stark argues that the Crusades were the first military response to unwarranted Muslim terrorist aggression.
Stark reviews the history of the seven major Crusades from 1095 to 1291, demonstrating that the Crusades were precipitated by Islamic provocations, centuries of bloody attempts to colonize the West, and sudden attacks on Christian pilgrims and holy places. Although the Crusades were initiated by a plea from the pope, Stark argues that this had nothing to do with any elaborate design of the Christian world to convert all Muslims to Christianity by force of arms. Given current tensions in the Middle East and terrorist attacks around the world, Stark's views are a thought-provoking contribution to our understanding and are sure to spark debate."God's Battalions is from HarperOne with 288 pages and sells for $24.99.
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