Norman Housley packed within his 357-page book an incredible amount of material that elaborates on the military undertaking endured by the Christian combatants. By chronically, organizing the crusades (1095-1291) and presenting the logistics and leadership efforts that were required to move man and beast to the Holy Land. Housley explores each phase of the logistical nightmare. Included with the text are black and white and color illustrations and photographs. The author included an index, notes pages, abbreviations page, and of course the biographically sources he utilized to create this enlighten book. Housley has written a book that appears to be tailored to the student of history or a novice who has an interest in the crusading years. The writing style is engaging and moves the reader quickly through 200 hundred years of Christian conflict in the Near East and within the European continent. The author opens by explaining the medieval mindset towards sin, thus the importance of penance as offered to the crusaders by Pope Urban II, and all succeeding popes who promoted the crusades and enlisted warriors for God. He moves onto preparations, citing …show more content…
This is one of the two books that I utilized to create my book reviews. I was unable to put the book down. It has a wealth of material that I was able to incorporate into my writing, and already have incorporated into my weekly course discussions. The author’s intent is to provide a framework for the student of the crusades to build upon. The logistic of war are daunting, and while Housley elaborates on individuals and events within each of the seven crusades. However, it his depiction of the logistical nightmare endured by the crusaders, the monetary and personal costs, the final preparations that met with success and failure over the 200 years that truly grabs the