Crusades

Many viewers might be surprised to see "Monty Python" alumnus Terry Jones doing a historical documentary, but he has made some wonderfully entertaining film in this genre. My favorite of these is "Medieval Lives" and I used portions of this show back when I was teaching World History. "Crusades" is also exceptionally good as it puts a different spin on the significance of these wars. Unlike conventional wisdom, Jones explains in this lengthy four-part series that the end result of the Crusades was the STRENGTHENING of the Muslim world---uniting the various Islamic kingdoms and the creation of a spirit of Jihad that we still feel today.

To provide this history lesson, Jones uses some amazing visuals--with actors dressed like living mosaics. You just have to see and marvel at them to believe them. Additionally, his anachronistic and droll sense of humor makes the film well worth seeing and enjoyable. Worth your time. The only negative is seeing Jones in a Speedo! I could have done without this.

Excellent, beautiful and amusing account of the Crusades. For those who think that the account is a little one sided and harsh on Catholics should consider this. Pope John Paul II himself apologized for the mistakes committed in the name of the Church during the Crusades to Muslim leaders in March of 2000.

As a Catholic, i never felt for one moment that Catholisism was being portrayed as "..utterly irrational, bloodthirsty, and a forerunner to Nazism" in the series. To call that suggestion a ridiculous hyperbole would be an understatement. I hope some people here realize that the Church never was or ever will be infallible.

Terry Jones as the host was a brilliant choice. The series is an excellent mix of history and humor. However it is quite biased against the Crusaders. It appears that the producers tried to make it seem that the Crusades were unprovoked hostility toward the Muslims who were living in peace with their Christian and Jewish neighbors. This is inaccurate. The Crusades were a provoked response by Europeans against increasing encroachment of Jihadists into European territory. Let's not forget that Spain was conquered by the Muslims in the 8th century (300 years BEFORE the Crusades). After that they conducted several invasions into France and Italy. Read about Charles Martel and Tours. The Muslims had been attacking Constantinople for centuries and were also attacking Christian Pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. As far as Muslims living in peace with their non-Muslim neighbors...true, to a point. Before invading a territory, Muslim commanders were required to give their enemy three choices: 1. Accept Islam and everything that is required of a Muslim (you know, fun stuff like, no pork, no alcohol, paying zakat, praying five times a day, oh yeah...and circumcision). 2. They could pay the non-Muslim tax and live as Dhimmi. Which means protected or a liability or guilty. These were Jews and Christians sometimes others such as Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, and Zoroastrians whose right to practice their religion is tolerated under Islamic law, but with lower legal status. 3. Die. Not much of a choice. For a person just becoming interested in the Crusades period of history, this miniseries is just right. However, research on your own is important. Do not take everything in this program at face value. You will be much the wiser for it.

... to quote the great Jack Nicholson. while it is true that in any conflict there are atrocities on both sides, not one of the negative commentators can refute any of the claims made in this series, they can only point out that it is one sided. well yes, that is the point, it is about the Christian crusades, if it was about the side of the muslims it would have been called "jihad" or something. it is very suitable that a python would handle this subject since much of it verges on farcical, if it weren't so utterly horrible. just the fact that when they finally get to to Jerusalem not only is it not occupied by the people that were supposedly oppressing it (the turks were already kicked out) that in fact everybody was getting along quite well. that's a python moment if there ever was one! i can hear the dialogue now

Christian: "We have to come to rescue you from the infidel blasphemers!"

jerusalem resident: "No thank you, we're doing just dandy actually, perhaps you would like to save the next city?"

Christian: "But we have travelled for years through untold hardship and struggle to kick out the infidels! God has willed it!"

jerusalem resident: "Look, it's not my fault we're not being oppressed, what do you want me to do, beat myself over the head?"

and so on .... and of course they end up looting and pillaging the "holy city". and you know, i don't think the Arab world has forgotten this period as much as we have, and we are still paying for those dark and bloody times. i'm glad this series was made, we must face the truths of history, no matter how ugly they are or how much they shatter our fragile myths we have created to shield ourselves from the true horrors of our past.

Terry Jones has previously done a series about the barbarians that uses selective and unrepresentative titbits to "prove" that the classical barbarians were actually a million times more advanced than we commonly think. They weren't, but they can be made to appear to be.

This continues in The Crusades where a few out of context points, a wry look and a bit of tired Monty Python comedy is thrown in to persuade the viewer that Muslims were innocent victims and Christians warmongering monsters.

It's pathetic that people are so keen to have their own bigotry propped up that they'll twist history to suit themselves. If this show did the same thing to malign Muslims instead it would probably have a score of around 2. Tell idiots what they want to hear though and you're set for success. Read about the crusades from a history book and you'll find quite a different story. What really galls me is there is little enough historical content on TV, what's the betting he'll get yet another series where he'll spin similar drivel while proper historians don't get a look in.

Really, this is sad stuff though I'm not at all surprised to see it has such a high rating.