Audiobook8 hours
In Distant Lands: A Short History of the Crusades
Written by Lars Brownworth
Narrated by Joe Barrett
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
In the late fall of 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech in Clermont, France, and set all of Europe into motion. As many as a hundred and fifty thousand people eventually responded to the call, leaving everything they knew behind to undertake what appeared to be a fool's mission: marching several thousand miles into enemy territory to reconquer Jerusalem for Christendom. Against all odds they succeeded, creating a Christian outpost in the heart of the Islamic world that lasted for the better part of two centuries.
Perhaps no other period in history is as misunderstood as the Crusades, and in this fast-paced account Lars Brownworth presents the entire story, from the first clash of Christendom and Islam in the dusty sands of Yarmouk, to the fall of the last crusader state. Along the way he introduces the listener to an exotic world peopled by mighty emperors, doomed Templars, grasping generals, and ambitious peasants. Some of the most famous names of the Middle Ages-Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the legendary Prester John-illuminate this era of splendor, adventure, and faith.
Perhaps no other period in history is as misunderstood as the Crusades, and in this fast-paced account Lars Brownworth presents the entire story, from the first clash of Christendom and Islam in the dusty sands of Yarmouk, to the fall of the last crusader state. Along the way he introduces the listener to an exotic world peopled by mighty emperors, doomed Templars, grasping generals, and ambitious peasants. Some of the most famous names of the Middle Ages-Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the legendary Prester John-illuminate this era of splendor, adventure, and faith.
More audiobooks from Lars Brownworth
The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Normans: From Raiders to Kings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to In Distant Lands
Related audiobooks
The Middle Ages Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Vandals: The History and Legacy of Antiquity's Most Famous Barbarians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alaric the Goth: An Outsider's History of the Fall of Rome Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Byzantine Empire: A Complete Overview Of The Byzantine Empire History from Start to Finish Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Volume I Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Teutonic Knights: A Military History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire – Part 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Byzantine Army: The History and Legacy of the Byzantine Empire’s Military during the Middle Ages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Battle of Grunwald: The History and Legacy of the the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War's Decisive Battle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crown and Country: A History of England through the Monarchy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Restoration of Rome: The History of the Roman Empire during the Reigns of Diocletian and Constantine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mamluks: The History and Legacy of the Medieval Slave Soldiers Who Established a Dynasty in Egypt Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Germany: A History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cyrus the Great: The Life and Legacy of the King Who Founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roman Empire: The history of Rome and its Emperors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Livonian Brothers of the Sword: The History of the Medieval Catholic Military Order that Fought Pagans in Eastern Europe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Empire of the Black Sea: The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFarewell the Trumpets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alexander of Macedonia: The World Conquered Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5King Xerxes I: The Life and Legacy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire’s Most Notorious Ruler Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5
Wars & Military For You
77 Days of February: Living and Dying in Ukraine, Told by the Nation’s Own Journalists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Palestine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5You're Stepping on My Cloak and Dagger Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of Five Rings Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kill Anything That Moves Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Kingdom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When I Come Home Again: 'A page-turning literary gem' THE TIMES, BEST BOOKS OF 2020 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Diary of Anne Frank Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Making of the Atomic Bomb: 25th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Korean War: A History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - Book Summary: How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead And Win Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Founding Mothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Watchmaker's Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie ten Boom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Saved: A War Reporter's Mission to Make It Home Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for In Distant Lands
Rating: 4.4921875 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
128 ratings10 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5fantastic listen. Both the author and the narrator kept me listening. History is fasci sting, especially about such misunderstood events as the Crusades
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very detailed well written history book. Author did excellent research.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Yet another detailed recount of the sad series of campaigns known as The Crusades.
Siege, plunder, mass murder, disastrous leadership and venal, hateful and zealous motives are detailed.
This chronicle takes us through the series of a half dozen invasions of the Middle East launched from Europe over a couple of centuries.
Each crusade is recounted in enough detail to distinguish the origin, shape and impulse of the distinctive waves of fanaticism, zealotry, greed and revenge fueling them. All failed in the end.
The elaborate competition and rivalry of the religious states and powers is intelligibly sorted between Rome, various Popes, Byzantium, French and German Catholicism and the Moslem powers.
The crusades may have killed more Christians than moslems in the various sackings, double crosses and cities besieged and burned in the name of Christ.
All reminders again that the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman nor an empire. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The book is cleverly written to unmask the true significance of the Crusade and its resounding message that history doesn't repeat itself, human nature does.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent history of the Crusades with good insight into the true position of the Crusades in world history.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A wonderful and hilarious tale of ineptitude and folly. Very well covered and narrated. Highly recommend.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An absolutely great book, another amazing pill of knowledge from Mr. Brownworth (I've started listening to this one in audiobook form after being pleasantly surprised by his tale of Byzantium in "Lost to the West") - clear, succinct, factual, entertaining at times and devoid of the aggressive revisionism of certain postmodern historians, it's an absolutely great read that I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of the medieval crusades.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow, just wow! Everyone knows about the crusades... or thinks they know about the crusades, but this book manages to sum it all up historically and with a tongue in cheek "forget all the lies you've been told" style that brings the usually boring details to life in a historic context that will make you re-evaluate the whole topic.
This is THE book to read if you ever wanted to know about this part of world history, or are just looking for an interesting audiobook on a topic you never knew you wanted to know about.
Excellent voice and perfect tone and accent for delivery.
At the end I was wishing for a 10th crusade just to keep the story going! - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A good, short tale of the Crusades. I did not appreciate how many attempts were made.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Well written and informative. Try first chp if interested. L