∎ Download Gratis The Monks of War The Military Religious Orders Arkana Desmond Seward 9780140195019 Books

The Monks of War The Military Religious Orders Arkana Desmond Seward 9780140195019 Books

Download As PDF : The Monks of War The Military Religious Orders Arkana Desmond Seward 9780140195019 Books

The Monks of War The Military Religious Orders Arkana Desmond Seward 9780140195019 Books

This is a very good introduction to the history of the military religious orders: Templars, Hospitallers of Saint John (today Knights of Malta), Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara, Teutons and others. The first ones, Templars and Hospitallers, were founded in the XII Century, after the First Crusade, in order to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land and to provide humanitarian and medical services. Soon, these monks became more warriors than anything else, true machines of war which came to be the first organized and properly trained and disciplined professional elite troops in the West since the Roman Empire. The West and Islam lived then (and still do) in a permanent state of threat and holy war. Although these warriors made vows of poverty, obedience and chastity, they soon accumulated enormous riches, fighted one another and their discipline, especially in sexual matters, relaxed.

The first part of the books tells the two centuries of Christian occupation in the Holy Land, which the Islam had taken by force centuries before, and where, despite some resounding successes, the Christians ended up being totally defeated and expelled, to this day. The second part tells the story of the Crusade in the Baltic, performed by the Teutonic Knights against the pagan Slav Prussians, terrifying cannibals adoring spirits in trees, as well as snakes in the woods. These Teutonics founded what was probably the first "modern" state: Prussia (the German one). This story is practically unknown, in spite of being totally fascinating. The third part is the Reconquest of Spain, where the orders were crucial in defeating the Moors. Then come the stories of the Hospitallers in Rhodes and Malta -also wonderful- and then what became of the existing orders today.

One striking common theme during the thousand years covered is the permanent and bloody conflict between the West and Islam. In spite of the torrent of names, places and dates, this book is an incredible collection of adventures and improbable deeds, especially the sieges of Acre, Rhodes and Malta, as well as the Spanish Reconquista and the Prussian episode. The tone of the book is apologetic, the author himself being a Knight of Malta, but it also vividly portraits the terrible atrocities committed by both sides. It fills a huge vacuum in the historical and political education of almost any reader, besides being an impressive saga of courage, dedication, violence, survival, glory, triumph, defeat and corruption at the same time. It really motivates you to read more about this subject.


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The Monks of War The Military Religious Orders Arkana Desmond Seward 9780140195019 Books Reviews

Quick delivery. Book as described in write-up
A veritable Treasure Trove
Recommend
Would purchase again
This Book was bought for my grown son who is a history buff. He said this book was excellent. I am sure he will be on the prowl for the next book.
The author of this book was later made a Knight of Malta (in the modern day). Very good scholarly work, a bit dated in style, but still an excellent overview. Covers the Templars, Hospitallers, the Teutonic Knights, and mentions some lesser known Orders I had never heard of. GREAT starting point. Showed up on time. Reasonable price. I'd buy it again.
A good account of a topic that's not very well-covered in Catholic history.
this book is a detailed activity, origin, organization, finances and encounter of groups lke the Templars and Hospitalers. If you want the datails of their martial activities, this is your book. I found it impossible to follow because of the lack of maps.
The Monks of War is at once compelling, sweeping, scholarly, and evocative of the age and men on which it writes. From the Tuetonic forests of the north, to the deserts of Outremer, to the badland country of the Iberian peninsula and the wine blue seas of the Mediterranean, Seward amply covers the broad spectrum of the pious men whose gift to God was their sword and skill. Differing in focus from other Crusading works, Seward keeps his eye on the movements of the various church orders which so often spearheaded the advance of Christianity upon Christendom's borders; he never becomes bogged down by awkward background explanations of such and such a Crusade; only that it was, and that here these men were, and such was their fate. At times poetic, at times a glipse of ages gone by, The Monks of War is the perfect addition to the ernstwhile Crusader enthusiast. Or the research-paper driven college student; or that student's professor; or...well, I think you understand. It's good; it's excellent.
Great book full of dates, places, names of key figures. The origions of the different orders is covered as well as some of the special privilages granted to each order. Basic short histories of each order is given, as well as what became of each order. Some of them are still with us today. I knew about the Knights of the order of Malta. They are still around though they don't wear armor & wield huge swords anymore. They now do much charity work. There are also other orders that have survived into our time, they also no longer fight battles, but do charity work. I don't want to spoil the voyage of discovery by giving away to much.
This is a very good introduction to the history of the military religious orders Templars, Hospitallers of Saint John (today Knights of Malta), Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara, Teutons and others. The first ones, Templars and Hospitallers, were founded in the XII Century, after the First Crusade, in order to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land and to provide humanitarian and medical services. Soon, these monks became more warriors than anything else, true machines of war which came to be the first organized and properly trained and disciplined professional elite troops in the West since the Roman Empire. The West and Islam lived then (and still do) in a permanent state of threat and holy war. Although these warriors made vows of poverty, obedience and chastity, they soon accumulated enormous riches, fighted one another and their discipline, especially in sexual matters, relaxed.

The first part of the books tells the two centuries of Christian occupation in the Holy Land, which the Islam had taken by force centuries before, and where, despite some resounding successes, the Christians ended up being totally defeated and expelled, to this day. The second part tells the story of the Crusade in the Baltic, performed by the Teutonic Knights against the pagan Slav Prussians, terrifying cannibals adoring spirits in trees, as well as snakes in the woods. These Teutonics founded what was probably the first "modern" state Prussia (the German one). This story is practically unknown, in spite of being totally fascinating. The third part is the Reconquest of Spain, where the orders were crucial in defeating the Moors. Then come the stories of the Hospitallers in Rhodes and Malta -also wonderful- and then what became of the existing orders today.

One striking common theme during the thousand years covered is the permanent and bloody conflict between the West and Islam. In spite of the torrent of names, places and dates, this book is an incredible collection of adventures and improbable deeds, especially the sieges of Acre, Rhodes and Malta, as well as the Spanish Reconquista and the Prussian episode. The tone of the book is apologetic, the author himself being a Knight of Malta, but it also vividly portraits the terrible atrocities committed by both sides. It fills a huge vacuum in the historical and political education of almost any reader, besides being an impressive saga of courage, dedication, violence, survival, glory, triumph, defeat and corruption at the same time. It really motivates you to read more about this subject.