tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post2248195536491854000..comments2024-03-09T11:34:22.175+00:00Comments on The History Girls: INVADERS FROM THE STEPPES: Elizabeth Chadwick's notes on a talk by Professor Nicholas Morton about the origins of the CrusadesMary Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-62410806823378892172016-03-25T16:06:04.914+00:002016-03-25T16:06:04.914+00:00Really interesting. Such a clear presentation of t...Really interesting. Such a clear presentation of the swing in presentation of the goodies/baddies in the Crusades. Now we can have the Christians AND the Saracens (and the Jews) as the goodies, and the Turks as the baddies :)<br /><br />I had no idea that the Turks were shamanistic, nor about the climate change. I did know they were a thorn in everybody's side but the (Christian) Byzantine Emperor used them nicely to get rid of much of the (Christian) German army en route to the 2nd Crusade. Emperor Komemnos was not happy with the damage done by the crusader armies (Franks and Germans) when they crossed his lands and encouraged the Holy Roman Emperor to take his Germans directly into Turkish ambushes. Rumour says he might even have paid the Turks...<br />Jean Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14423822543543008594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-10440735837441274762016-03-24T19:48:51.333+00:002016-03-24T19:48:51.333+00:00Absolutely fascinating, Elizabeth. In view of the ...Absolutely fascinating, Elizabeth. In view of the current situation in Europe, it'd about time we had clear information about the early origins of Islam and some common sense all round. Time and time again. misinformation and ignorance fuel warfare and prejudice. <br /><br />Thank you so much for letting some fresh air flow into the history I thought I understood. Sally Zigmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07520579251842006765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-70141940356166523282016-03-24T08:54:28.634+00:002016-03-24T08:54:28.634+00:00This is fascinating, and it makes me realise how l...This is fascinating, and it makes me realise how little I know about the Crusades. I had no idea about the origin of the Turks, for instance. The version of the Crusades I learnt about as a child was that the heroic Christians went to drive out the wicked infidels: since then, it's swung round and I had the impression of a mob of thugs going off to attack the wise and cultured Saracens. <br /><br />One thing - I'm a bit confused about the Saracens. Were they the same as the Turks? I think I could do with a map, and a nice simple children's book!Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com