Posted on 02/11/2015 5:54:13 AM PST by Biggirl
The date is from the time it was first published, just to let other FRpers know.
We have a president who is not only pretending to be an historian, but is also pretending to be a Christian and pretending to be an American.
But remember, Mr. Madden’s book and presentation blows up any efforts by Mr. Obama to make false claims.
Great article, thanks for posting it!
Our Muslim terrorist enemies don’t use the Crusader moniker for the USA’s “war on terror”. But our esteemed C-I-C does.
"Many historians had been trying to set the record straight on the Crusades long before Clinton discovered them. They are not revisionists, like the American historians who manufactured the Enola Gay exhibit, but mainstream scholars offering the fruit of several decades of very careful, very serious scholarship. For them, this is a teaching moment, an opportunity to explain the Crusades while people are actually listening. It wont last long, so here goes."
bump
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And pretending to be a president ...
Thanks. Glad you posted it. I know the history of the Crusades but from the comments I read even here at FR not many else do.
Second, prior to that committee, I had begun reading the massive "God's War," which is an excellent and incredibly detailed history of the Crusades. I highly recommend it, but it is tough sledding.
However, I did find that in his assessment of the post-crusading period, the author neglected to mention the siege of Malta, wherein Sulieman (not personally, but his forces) attacked the 10,000 or so Knights Hospitalers on the island with 100,000 soldiers and sailors . . . and lost. It was one of the most remarkable defenses in human history. His generals wasted more than 20,000 men, or perhaps 1/3 of their land forces, on tiny Fort St. Elmo before even assaulting the two larger forts. That, the failed siege of Vienna, and the Christian naval victory at Lepanto turned the tide and saved Europe from total occupation in my view.
An there is still the classic three volume “A History of the Crusades” by Steve Runciman. I still have my set from when I bought it in college in the 1960s.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/849946.A_History_Of_The_Crusades_3_Volume_Set
Thank-you for your reference.
"Misconceptions about the Crusades are all too common. The Crusades are generally portrayed as a series of holy wars against Islam led by power-mad popes and fought by religious fanatics. They are supposed to have been the epitome of self-righteousness and intolerance, a black stain on the history of the Catholic Church in particular and Western civilization in general. A breed of proto-imperialists, the Crusaders introduced Western aggression to the peaceful Middle East and then deformed the enlightened Muslim culture, leaving it in ruins. For variations on this theme, one need not look far. See, for example, Steven Runcimans famous three-volume epic, History of the Crusades, or the BBC/A&E documentary, The Crusades, hosted by Terry Jones. Both are terrible history yet wonderfully entertaining."
Great post. We should be embracing the Crusades. They represent a noble effort.
>>However, I did find that in his assessment of the post-crusading period, the author neglected to mention the siege of Malta
You must read Tim Willocks “The Religion”, a beautifully written historic novel about the Turkish siege of Malta.
Great article — thank you for posting it.
You are welcome!
What is meant by the Enola Gay Exhibit? What exactly is that. I have studied Islam through Dr. Bill Warner and really like his work and video’s on youtube.
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