Soldiers of the Faith: Crusaders and Moslems at War

by Ronald C. Finucane

Book Overview

The battles and political scheming that took place during the various medieval crusades have often been described, but little has been written about crusading from the point of view of the actual participants - those recruits who marched across Europe and fought the infidel, as well as those they fought against. Ronald C. Finucane discusses the social composition of the fighting forces, the part played by superstitious ideas and the conduct of the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312742568
• ISBN13: 9780312742560
• Release Date: January 1983
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 247 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The crusades as seen by the participants

Whether you like this book depends upon what you are looking for, if you are seeking a in depth chronological history of the crusades then soldiers of the faith is not the book for you. If however you are looking for a book which focuses on the experiences of the individuals who participated in these tumultuous times then read on. In Soldiers of the Faith, Finucane, dissects the life of a crusader (and to a lesser extent a Muslim warrior) asking what would lead a man to abandon family and home to fight for a cause, how he would travel to the holy land, what he would take with him, what weapons he carried and how he employed them and ultimately what relations did he form with the locals, both immediately and for those who stayed over an extended period. Finucane also investigates the collapse of the initial crusading zeal, warn down by increased Arab resistance, the continued failure of subsequent crusades and the corruption evidenced in the crusade leadership which resulted in the sacking of Christian cities culminating in the sack of Constantinople in the fourth crusade.

Deus Lo Vult!

Current world events are focusing interest onto Christian-Moslem conflicts of past centuries during which Christendom was on the offensive. "Soldiers of Faith" is a timely book which focuses its attention on the Soldiers of Christendom and Islam who fought through the Two Centuries of Crusades. While not providing a campaign by campaign account of the Crusades, it does provide much background information for the interested reader. It does provide the reader with a background into historical realities which may, to some extent, explain the origins contemporary news items.Many facets of Crusader life are covered in the book. The social makeup of the Crusader armies, divided between knights and foot soldiers is extensively explored. The differing sources, uses, and lifestyles of the Crusading Estates are introduced. The social mix of the Crusading armies came as a surprise to me. I had thought that Crusading armies, and Medieval armies in general, consisted primarily of knights. From this book I learned that the bulk of the armies consisted of infantry drawn from the Common Estate.Much is explained about the rise of the Crusading Spirit it Europe as well as its life and ultimate decline over a two century period. What lead Europeans to take up the Cross? A combination of forces came into play. For some it was the noble desire to reclaim the land of Christ for Christendom. For others, with less noble motives, the desire to run away from problems at home, obtain indulgences, see the world or avoid taxation were only a few of the factors which lead them to the Holy Land.The conduct of the Soldiers themselves told much of the movement. In an era antedating the modern, national army, the focus of operations was less predictable. Although the professed goal of the Crusade was the recovery of the Holy Land, many turned against other Crusaders, Byzantine Christians, heretics and other Christians as well as favoring looting and pillage over the recovery of lost lands.The political and military leaders of the Crusading era are well explored. Prominent among them are St. Louis IX of France, Richard the Lion Hearted of England and Sulymein. A series of Popes and other personalities are also discussed.Much attention is directed to the religious actions and objects which were prominent in the era. The importance and object of pilgrimages throughout Europe and the Holy Land for Christian and Saracen alike are well related. The abuse which Christians, Moslems and Jews heaped upon each other demonstrated the depth of religious fervor. The desecration of the sacred by those of other religions is certainly out of step with contemporary civilized discourse, but may be reflected in the actions of some extremists in the contemporary world. It may be significant that attitudes which are considered extreme today may have been considered laudable in Medieval times.The shifting levels of respect afforded by Christian and Moslems to these other "People of