Warriors of God : Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade - Jr. James Reston

Textbook or Pleasure Reading?

My son had to read this book for a University course. He thought that I, a history buff, might find it useful as a reference book. To my pleasant surprise, this book is quite simply a joyous read. Interesting, fast-paced, and very well written, it is fit to be consumed rapidly and then re-read. Myths are exposed, and explained, and multiple characters are presented in their historical contexts with all of their flaws, and attributes of greatness, fully discussed. This book has relevance today, as it puts the Western imprint on the Middle East at the forefront of discussion, without criticism of the West, nor undue praise. Richard the Lionhearted is portrayed as what he apparently was - a great warrior with a surprising appetite for things not often associated with soldiers. As for Saladin, it is quickly evident why he was both feared and revered, why both are deserved, and why honor is not simply a Western characteristic.

Learn about this crusade -- skip the author's

This is of a piece with most "revisionist" histories, in which the author bends over backwards to discredit popular history to seemingly prove his lack of bias. As a result, the bias becomes obvious. It's relevant to note that this book was written shortly before 9/11, making cruelly ironic Reston's assertion that the fact that "the word 'jihad' strikes fear in the hearts of many Westerners who associate it with terrorism and Islamic fanaticism" amounts to "an irony of history." Forces of Islam are involved in hot spots ranging from as far West as Algeria and as far east as the Philippines, and include many areas in between: Bosnia, Sudan, Israel, India, Chechnya, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. Very few of these conflicts, if any, can trace its root cause to what happened between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin centuries ago, despite the author's "crusade" to show otherwise. Read this book for its excellent account of the Third Crusade. Be shocked at the cruelties that occured, mostly on the Crusader's side. Skip the tendentious linking of the Third Crusade to the root cause of everything.