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Crusades (4pc) [VHS] | ![Crusades (4pc) [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YRP73DJ4L._SL160_.jpg) | Directors: Alan Ereira, David Wallace
Actors: Terry Jones, Anthony Smee, Steve Purbrick, Marcello Marascalchi, Robin Sebastian
Studio: AE Home Video
Category: Video
List Price: $39.95
Buy Used: $1.62
as of 7/30/2010 11:00 MDT details
You Save: $38.33 (96%)
New (9) Used (19) from $1.62
Seller: Westbury Books
Rating:  60 reviews
Sales Rank: 26832
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
Language: English (Unknown)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 4
Running Time: 200 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.6 x 4.3
ISBN: 6303454550
UPC: 733961134001
EAN: 9786303454559
ASIN: 6303454550
Theatrical Release Date: 1995
Release Date: December 23, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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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 IAncient Inventions/I and an accomplished medievalist. Best known for his absurdist contributions to all things Monty Python--he was a founding member of IMonty Python's Flying Circus/I and cowriter of IMonty Python and the Holy Grail/I, ILife of Brian/I, and IMonty Python's The Meaning of Life/I, among others--Jones wields an uncanny ability to explain the methodologies and madness of the Crusades while not failing us his sense of humor.p Jones wrote the scripts for each 50-minute presentation in the four volumes of IThe Crusades/I, 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.p All these elements are contrasted with intermezzos of contemporary European and Middle Eastern society and a moving original soundtrack to make IThe Crusades/I 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. I--Jamie Friddle/I
Description
" Join Terry Jones, founding member of Monty Python, author and medieval expert, for this magnificent four-volume chronicle of the Crusades. One of history's most epic adventures, the Crusades began as a holy mission to liberate Jerusalem, and became the largest mass migration in European history. When they ended 200 years later, the Crusades had created a mythology of knights and chivalry, and left a legacy of distrust between East and West that continues to shape our world today. Filmed on location throughout Europe and the Middle East, this acclaimed production brings the Crusades to life with an army of innovative techniques, including animated mosaics, restaged battles and extraordinary computer graphics. Produced in consultation with the world's foremost experts on history and theology, it's a witty and thoroughly fascinating account of one of civilization's most legendary and least understood chapters. Please note: This special sale price applies only to orders placed online, and is NOT applicable to telephone orders."
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 60
 History made fun March 4, 2010
Paul Lawrence (Australia)
So many people have a certain view of history as being boring. But when you have a Python delivering the lesson you know you are going to score some entertainment value. And therein lies both the strength and the weakness of this documentary which appears to have been quite a labour of love for Terry Jones.
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br /Not that he does it all on his own. Oh no, this thing has all the nice film work you'd expect of a BBC production and quite apart from the travelling to and fro the various points of interest in the middle east the documentary makers have gone to the trouble to interview a whole range of talking heads. You see, as Terry Jones is more of an amateur historian this product quite rightly shows him learning a thing or three along the way and the way Jones throws himself into it - gearing up in armour at times, re-enacting aspects of the crusaders life and making use of interactions with some modern day denizens of the area at hand - really aids the viewers feeling of connectivity.
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br /The downside here is largely one of historical accuracy. A perusal of the one star reviews will show you that there are some serious flaws in some of the information presented and these mainly centre on the Crusade IV (sort of like a bad Hollywood horror film they just kept makin' them don't ya know). As others has laid these bare at length I'll not repeat them here, but these errors are such a disappointment when the series itself has so much verve and life. One saving grace is that the main criticisms seem to be - as I said - in relation to the shows treatment of the 4th Crusade and since this only takes up a part of the overall whole this is probably still a fun place to start your journey of finding out more about this fascinating period of history. And if you want hints as to what other products may help you along your way some of those who have slugged this with one star reviews have been kind enough to offer suggestions of more scholarly work.
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br /As for myself, I grant this four stars for the excitement it instils, the humour and the gusto with which the subject is attacked and the down to earth way information is presented. If you accept it's limitations as noted elsewhere this is a pretty good buy and it's certainly something I've watched a number of times over the years.
 Funny and Informative Documentary December 24, 2008
HG (Boston, MA)
This documentary is funny and informative about the Crusades. The narrator (Terry Jones) and his team took a journey following the same path taken earlier by the Crusaders. This documentary shows brutality, horrors, and massacres committed by Crusaders against fellow Christians and against Muslims in Palestine. It is a good documentary telling the story of the crusaders in a non-boring style.
Crusades - Review from the other side May 27, 2008
Stephen J. Burr (Alexandria, VA)
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
Alfred J. Andrea (Burlington,, VT USA)
16 out of 22 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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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
H. Webb (london)
4 out of 7 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.
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br /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.
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br /The fine details I leave to Mr Jones to tell you but as history goes it's a must know.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 60
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