The Crusades by Thomas Madden is an exposition of the crusades that took place in the Middle Ages. The Crusades were a series of military conflicts of a religious nature. They remain a very important movement in human history, and are difficult to understand, because they include several themes and lasted a long time (around two hundred years, and the author covers a period of around eight centuries in his chronological work). Religion is of course the most recurring theme we think about the Crusades, but is it the only factor to explain them? How does Madden, considered one of the greatest historians of the Crusades, present them in his book? Is his work effective in understanding this period of history? Madden aims to connect the Crusades of the Middle Ages with events today, such as the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. For him, it is a reminder of what happened happened in the past, and what can still happen today. : waging wars for religion. Madden wants to intrigue readers with this concise book so that they go further in discovering the Crusades. First, we can point out how Madden emphasizes that the Crusades were motivated by religious reasons: "A crusade army was a curious mixture of rich and poor, saints and sinners, motivated by all kinds of pious and selfish desires, but it could not have come into being without the pious idealism that led men to risk everything to liberate the lands of Christ” (Madden, 13). The First Crusade took place after Pope Urban II preached a sermon to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Madden regrets what he calls a “misguided view,” according to which “religion was not an impulse but a diversion” (11). It definitely assumes a different point of view...... middle of paper ...... it is a clear and concise history of the Crusades. Anyone wishing to become familiar with the Crusades should start by reading it. Madden is a specialist and a good writer, and he gives the reader the opportunity to assimilate all the facts with simplicity (thanks to the maps, the clear and concise chapters). However, some simplifications might irritate some people, because he is biased towards Christians. Some aspects of theology are not fully explained, for example the strong authority of the popes who led the crusades. We can also ask for more explanations to fully understand the consequences and causes of the crusades (not only in the preface and the conclusion). The way the book is presented may have been done in order to let the reader draw their own conclusion and interpretation, although one can easily understand the author's point of view throughout the book...