Book: Stark, Rodney. God’s Battalions. Reprint. HarperCollins, 2009.

[Read the full review by clicking the above link]

Point: “The Crusades were not unprovoked. They were not the first round of European colonialism. They were not conducted for land, loot, or converts. The crusaders were not barbarians who victimized the cultivated Muslims. They sincerely believed that they served in God’s battalions” (kindle 3371).

Personal App: When people bring to the conversation arguments about the Crusades and why ISIS cannot be blamed for their horrific violence, I can now say, “Yes, about those Crusades…””

Stars:  4.5 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it to someone who:

• Is interested in history
• Is interested in the Muslim world