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| Crusades | 
| Directors: Alan Ereira, David Wallace (ii)
Actors: Terry Jones, Anthony Smee, Steve Purbrick, Marcello Marascalchi, Robin Sebastian
Studio: A&E Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $23.03
You Save: $16.92 (42%)
New (31) from $23.03
Avg. Customer Rating:  58 reviews
Sales Rank: 41586
Format: Box Set, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Running Time: 200 minutes
Number Of Items: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.4
MPN: D70384D
ISBN: 0767042816
UPC: 733961703849
EAN: 9780767042819
ASIN: B00005U8F3
Theatrical Release Date: 1995
Release Date: January 2, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Of all the wars waged in the name of God, none has ever matched the arrogance and conceit of the Christian Crusades. For nearly two centuries (1095-1291), this medieval "holy war" variously raged, sometimes so spiritually misshapen by rapaciousness, murder, and political greed that to think it all had to do with Christian faith is absurd. And really, there is no one better to dramatize such a theater of holy war than Wales-born Terry Jones, host of The Discovery Channel's Ancient Inventions and an accomplished medievalist. Best known for his absurdist contributions to all things Monty Python--he was a founding member of Monty Python's Flying Circus and cowriter of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, among others--Jones wields an uncanny ability to explain the methodologies and madness of the Crusades while not failing us his sense of humor. Jones wrote the scripts for each 50-minute presentation in the four volumes of The Crusades, which originally aired on The History Channel. His narration is not without an occasional sardonic air, almost of the roll-your-eyes type, which not only lends a skeptical perspective to a frequently misunderstood era in Western Europe, but also quite frequently editorializes the events that occurred between Pope Urban II's call for liberation of Jerusalem from the "infidels" of Islam and the embarrassing moment when officers of the fourth Crusade are conned out of its divine calling by the Venetians. While Jones's reconnaissance is sometimes oversimplified by casually not mentioning several Crusade sorties after the fourth (there were several, but by the 13th century they had become redolent of ennui and misguided commercial adventure), the technical ingenuity of the production and Jones's use of anecdote backed by academicians and preserved eyewitness accounts cinches a viewer's interest. Medieval "siege machines" are re-created to test their mettle against legends of famous battles, Jones dons real 11th- and 12th-century armor to demonstrate the outlandish appearance of Crusaders in the lands of Mohammed, mosaics come to life with body-painted characters of medieval fable, and computer graphics are deployed to re-create the interior of the great cathedral at Cluny. All these elements are contrasted with intermezzos of contemporary European and Middle Eastern society and a moving original soundtrack to make The Crusades a thoroughly engaging documentary of the bloodletting of medieval Christian conquests and the ultimate result of Islamic fanaticism born from its crimson tide. In Jones's own words at the end of Volume IV: "It took 200 years for the Crusaders to create [this] Muslim fanaticism. It was the exact imitation of Christian intolerance." To understand the effects of the Crusades is to understand much of today's religious geography, and Mr. Jones and company can fairly lay claim to having helped set the record straight. --Jamie Friddle
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| Customer Reviews: Read 53 more reviews...
 Crusades - Review from the other side May 27, 2008
Nice introduction to this history block. Good use of the the opposing (Islamic) sides views. Nice use of technology and side cultural notes. Disagree with some of his comments; I am not apologist for the pure mercenary members of the Crusades or methods but I see the political side of his view of history. His views are well known about the Global War on Terror from his editorials in the Guardian. He like many Muslims are still hung on the Crusades and use it as an excuse for their presnt actions.
 A Mythic History of the Crusades March 20, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Terry Jones's The Crusades is everything that a good documentary should not be. In brief, it is filled with misrepresentations and factual errors, and it perpetuates myths that were discredited long ago--in some cases several generations ago. The video program is based largely on a superficial and somewhat erroneous reading of Steven Runciman's three-volume history of the crusades, which was revolutionary when it appeared over a half century ago but which has been superceded and even discredited, in part, by what has been an almost tidal wave of crusade scholarship over the past 30 years or more.
The worst part of the video program is its treatment of the Fourth Crusade (2002-2004). Put bluntly, Jones gets the story woefully wrong to the point that anyone who views this section of the program uncritically will come away totally misinformed. But even before we reach the early thirteenth century, errors abound. One gets the impression that Jones is not really interested in sober history. Rather, he is content with cheap jokes. When he has to choose between a supposedly funny line or scene or a more prosaic historical fact, he invariably chooses the former.
It is a shame that buffoonery is allowed to trump history. The complex, multilayered story of the crusades is fascinating in its tragedy and even darkly humorous in its ironies. Unfortunately, Jones's attempt at burlesque has led only to distortion.
Actually, I used to have my students in an upper-division, university-level course on the crusades view this program outside of class and to write reviews of it. Their reviews were, on the whole, even more damning than this review.
 Holy Hell May 14, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Since seeing this back in the 90's there has not really been a better way to show biggest holy mess in time itself.
Terry Jones is a class act at taking us though those dark years. Along with France & England and others we see our great knights & local folk take up arms and ride off or walk to destroy all. Really in the end it was mass murder in a scale unseen. Eating babies and drinking horse blood are just some of the tales of wow.
The fine details I leave to Mr Jones to tell you but as history goes it's a must know.
Warfare Goes Pythonesque May 11, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Bringing in Terry Jones to take a look at the Crusades was a bit of good casting. Jones' quirky humour, pleasant presentation skills and somewhat humorous outlook on things make this an informative and entertaining DVD.
Some have accused the series of being "anti-Church" or biased against the Europeans to an unnecessary degree. Let's face it, the church and Europe probably deserves some bagging over its actions concerning the Crusades. Also, considering that the series uses some very well-respected experts in the field, the accusations are not entirely well-founded. Yes, most of the Crusaders were violent people and more than a little superstitious. Also, while good at warfare, they still lost. The reasons for losing were possibly the disastrous political decisions the leaders made at times, among other things.
Along with the interviews with different experts, the re-enactments of some of the aspects of the Crusades made for some interesting and entertaining viewing. There is also some presence of the primary sources, quotes from people who were there and saw what was happening, (albeit with the characteristic "miraculous element").
The documentary is well presented, accurate from what I have read and know of the Crusades themselves, (I am not an expert, however), and very enjoyable to watch. It is not all that detailed, but serves well as an easy introduction to an intriguing period in history.
The Crusades: Falsehoods, Mispercetions, and Reality November 5, 2006
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Terry Jones is proably best known for his participation in the Monty Python troupe. The present Broadway musical about King Arthur demonstrates the ability of this British comedy to attract audiences. Not so well known is the serious side of this actor. Mr. Jones is an amateur historian about the Middle Ages and especially the Crusades. Although there were a number of "crusades" such as against the Slavs in the Balkans or the Cathars in southern France, most Westners think of the struggle between Christians and Muslims from the end of the 11th century to the end of the 13th century. Jones gives a sweeping view of this struggle--entertaining as well as informative. Drawing upon actual locations, contemporary documents, and recognized experts in the field as Sir Steven Runciman, Jones illuminates this time period to the general public. Many will be surprised about the revelations that Jones presents. With subtle and sometimes not so subtle humor, viewers will remember tidbits as a "divinely inspired goose" leading a crusade or that Peter the Hermit looked like his donkey. The ordinary comes to life as Mr. Jones poses questions as how does one walk in soft leather shoes thousands of miles? Or what it must have been like to wear a suit of armour? One cannot help but come away with a greater appreciation of what it must have been like to be on campaign in Syria or Palestine in the 11th century. But, Mr. Jones goes beyond the entertainment level to address the sinister aspects of the Crusades. Each Crusdae often began with pogroms against the local Jewish population as in Germany. The journey to Constantinople was marred by fighting, pillaging, and killing. Once in Asia Minor, the Western knights commited acts of barbarism and cannibalism. The taking of Jerusalem was accomplished with the wholesale slaughter of Muslims and Jews. Just as disturbing, Jones does not gloss over the capture of Constantinople by Western knights and the three days of mayhem that followed. Jones includes wonderful vignettes as the high level of Islamic culture compared to the West in the Middle Ages or the observation that Muslim and Jew fought alongside one another in defense of Jerusalem. Perhaps due to production constraints, there were occassions when history was a bit garbled. One of the most glaring was Mr. Jones reference to the Mamluk warrior Baibars. The video gave the impression that Baibars completed the destruction of the Cursader states when in fact his successors did. The most important note of this video is when Mr. Jones sees the relevancy of the Crusades to what is happening in the world today. The misperceptions of the West in the 11th century has not much altered in the 21st century. As we portray the Muslims as fanatics that threaten us, Westen armies and their surrogates occupy Arab-Muslim lands. Mr. Jones comment about unleashing a people's fury is as telling for Reynauld, Guy, or Richard I then as it is for Blair and Bush today.
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