What do You think about The Dream And The Tomb: A History Of The Crusades (2000)?
Perfect history in that you don't have the luxury of having a favorite; at any time, either the "Muslims", the Byzantine Empire, or the "Franks" are doing things so contrary to their religions and espoused moralities that they engender disgust and contempt in all but the worst apologists.The book paints with equal accuracy the beauty, opulence, and decadence of the East and the brutality, inhumanity, and cruelty of those who would control that beauty. Essentially, the story of the Crusades is, sadly, a microcosm of the human condition...told with scathing precision by Robert Payne.
—Jason
