A review by ryner
Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands by Dan Jones

adventurous challenging informative sad slow-paced

3.0

I selected this book to fulfill the Read Harder category "a history about a period you know little about" since what I knew could probably have been summed up in a sentence or two. It was somewhat of a slow slog from beginning to end, to the point where I ultimately had to set daily page goals to make progress, but I do now feel considerably more knowledgeable about the subject matter. I made frequent use of the included maps, as well as Google for key players, geography and terminology. There were some pretty messed-up surprises: the Fourth Crusade was waged against fellow Christians; and some not-surprises: religiously-motivated acts have long been garbage, and Christianity has been demonstrably corrupt from the very beginning.