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

Informative and Wry

I recently finished Warriors of God : Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Reston Jr. The book is informative and full of wry humor. It was also full of "oh, that's what they meant" moments.
This is the first book that I've read that talks about the third crusade from both the Muslim and Christian perspectives. This balance is made more meaningful given it's post- 9/11 publication. It in no way makes an explicit connection, but you can see the beginnings of struggles (hostile and diplomatic) over Jerusalem that are still operant.
The very beginning of the book covers an era reported in two movies in particular. The Lion in Winter, if not exactly historically accurate, at least conveys the same gist and tone as Warriors of God. Wikipedia says, about the movie,
"The Lion in Winter is fictional: there was no Christmas Court at Chinon in 1183; there was a Christmas court at Caen in 1182; none of the dialogue and action is historic, though the outcomes of the characters and the background are historically accurate. In reality, Henry had many mistresses and many illegitimate children; the "Rosamund" mentioned in the film was Henry II's mistress until she died."
Kingdom of Heaven covers the next slice of time, but combines characters and adds an improbable and non-existant love relationship.
I recommend the book to anybody that's curious about this era and place.

A flawed history, but an interesting read

As a complete novice to the history of the Third Crusade (Robin Hood and Ivanhoe were about as historically deep as I got), I found Warriors of God to be a lively introduction to a fascinating and colorful cast of characters--most of whom I'd never heard of before. I enjoyed the fast-paced, episodic style of the work, and I could tell Mr. Reston was enjoying himself with these stories--that sort of enthusiasm on the part of the author can cover a multitude of sins.

But not all. While the book makes for a good read, I'm not entirely sure it makes good history. As other reviewers have mentioned, Mr. Reston has a tendency to state things as fact without much bothering about proof. At one point Mr. Reston, commenting on the tangled, soap opera relations of the Plantagenet family, says that Henry II, Eleanor, and Alais: "raged at one another, as we know from the modern play The Lion in Winter" (page 61 in the hardcover). Now, James Goldman's play is excellent (go read it), but it's a highly fictionalized account of a Christmas court that never took place. Perhaps Mr. Reston merely phrased this badly, but it sounds as if we are meant to give as much historical credence to a modern author as to eye witness accounts from the 12th century.

There are also several obvious fact checking errors--for example, the child king Baldwin V is referred to as the son of Baldwin IV (page 75 in the hardcover) rather than his nephew. Many historians have a tendency to be dismissive of popular histories already--there's no need to add fuel to the fire by making mistakes that any web page can manage to get right.

All that being said, I did enjoy the book, and found myself utterly drawn into this world and these people's stories. The extensive use of quotations from primary sources really brought the history to life. It absolutely "hooked me" into seeking out more on the subject. And as long as that's as deeply as one needs to read it, Warriors of God is worth a look.

Exciting history with a hint of Python

This is a very entertaining piece of popular history. As usual for such work, it may be of less interest to the serious and well-informed student of history, but I would recommend it anyway just for the fun it will give you. The author manages to make the events exciting and draw the reader in, but not without the occasional hint of farce. At the same time, by keeping you reading the book brings across just how differently thought was structured in the Middle Ages. Richard's Crusade was ultimately futile and a waste both of life and of an opportunity to rule, including massacres of civilians and prisoners that would be proscribed today, although there was great chivalry between the key players. Saladin comes off better, and it is worth reading more to get a better feel for the man's flaws, but the Crusaders' acts and nature cannot really be whitewashed.

A fascinating and occasionally hilarious snapshot of a very different time.

Balanced ?

I've actually been planning to read this book for years and finally picked it up off the shelf at our local library. What I had hoped for was an education and understanding of this pivotal period of history.

I would say I did learn things I had not previously understood but I believe I had to do so with care given not to swallow hook, line and sinker. I find, as other reviewers have mentioned, that the author seems to prefer or have taken sides with the Muslim "defenders". They are rendered in a glorious and patriotic light while the "offenders" are small and trivial people.

Considering the amount of time I've wanted to read this book, I'd have to say I was a little disappointed. To credit where credit is due, I did enjoy the flow of the near storybook style of writing employed. I found there were times I wasn't sure I was reading a good historically inspired novel or the real thing.

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.