[Antoninus]

My public school education sort of skimmed the crusades. I know very little detail. Can you recommend an objective book on the Crusades?

Here's one written by eminent Catholic historian Hillaire Belloc in the 1930s:



I found this quote in it that was particularly prescient:

"There is with us [in the West] a complete chaos in religious doctrine.... We worship ourselves, we worship the nation; or we worship (some few of us) a particular economic arrangement believed to be the satisfaction of social justice....Islam has not suffered this spiritual decline; and in the contrast between [our religious chaos and] the religious certitudes still strong throughout the Mohammedan world ... lies our peril."

[brownsfan]

"Here's one written by eminent Catholic historian Hillaire Belloc in the 1930s"

Interesting, and not expensive either! I like that. While I'm at it, I've been threatening to get an objective book on Islam. Not sure what you know about that. Short of reading the Koran, do you have any suggestions?