The First Crusade: A New History: The Roots of Conflict between Christianity and Islam
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 400 Years of Missing Roots
  • Ho-hum another crusade book
  • Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this
  • Poorly researched populist pulp
  • An excellent history with a major flaw
The First Crusade: A New History: The Roots of Conflict between Christianity and Islam
Thomas Asbridge
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Military | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
MedievalMedieval | World | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Church History | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
HistoryHistory | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Religion & SpiritualityReligion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople
  2. The New Concise History of the Crusades (Critical Issues in History) The New Concise History of the Crusades (Critical Issues in History)
  3. Crusades Through Arab Eyes Crusades Through Arab Eyes
  4. Crusades: The Illustrated History Crusades: The Illustrated History
  5. Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade

ASIN: 0195189051

Book Description

In The First Crusade, Thomas Asbridge offers a gripping account of a titanic three-year adventure filled with miraculous victories, greedy princes, and barbarity on a vast scale. Beginning with the electrifying speech delivered by Pope Urban II on the last Tuesday of November in the year 1095, readers will follow the more than 100,000 men who took up the call from their mobilization in Europe (where great waves of anti-Semitism resulted in the deaths of thousands of Jews), to their arrival in Constanstinople, an exotic, opulent city--ten times the size of any city in Europe--that bedazzled the Europeans. Featured in vivid detail are the siege of Nicaea and the pivotal battle for Antioch, the single most important military engagement of the entire expedition, where the crusaders, in desparate straits, routed a larger and better equipped Muslim army. Through all this, the crusaders were driven on by intense religious devotion, convinced that their struggle would earn them the reward of eternal paradise in Heaven. But when a hardened core finally reached Jerusalem in 1099 they unleahsed an unholy wave of brutality, slaughtering thousands of Muslims--men, women, and children--all in the name of Christianity. The First Crusade marked a watershed in relations between Islam and the West, a conflict that set these two world religions on a course toward deep-seated animosity and enduring enmity. The chilling reverberations of this earth-shattering clash still echo in the world today.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars 400 Years of Missing Roots.......2007-09-29

The problem is with the sub-title: "The Roots of Conflict Between Christianity and Islam." Unfortunately far too many writers, teachers, students and even scholars share this misconception today. The Crusades were not the beginning of a millennia long antagonism between Christianity and Islam. Nor were the Crusades the cause of that hostility. To find the roots of the conflict one must go back another 461 years to the Islamic conquest of Christian Palestine and Syria (beginning in 634 CE). By the time Pope Urban II called upon the nobility of Europe (in 1095 CE) to undertake a Crusade for the liberation of the Holy Land from Muslim domination, Christendom had been continuously on the defensive against Islamic Jihadists for well over four centuries.

All the ancient sites of early Christianity from Antioch to Jerusalem to Alexandria had been conquered. All the Christian peoples of the Levant and North Africa as far west as the Iberian Peninsula had been subjugated and reduced to Dhimmitude - a third class status closely resembling the condition of the Jews in Germany during the 1930s. The Sassanian Persian Empire had likewise been overthrown and the ancient Zoroastrian religion all but eradicated. Later the Indian subcontinent would be conquered and the Hindu peoples subjugated and reduced to Dhimmitude. Buddhism was virtually wiped out in India by its Muslim conquerors. It survives today only in Tibet, China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

The simple fact is that Islam was by no means a peaceful or tolerant religion. On the contrary, as far as non Muslims were concerned, it was a militant, imperialist and tyrannical faith.

The Crusades were the first attempt on the part of Christian Europe since the Battle of Tours in 732 to push back the frontiers of Islamic conquest. The Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire had been at war with Muslim Jihadists in the East almost continuously since 634. Following the disastrous defeat of the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 the Emperor Alexius Komnenus appealed to the West for help in turning back the tide of Islamic conquest. This was the proximate cause of the Pope's call for a Crusade - a far cry from the unprovoked act of Christian aggression against a peaceful Dar al Islam imagined by most contemporary Islamists and their western apologists.

The First Crusade was as much a political as a religious war. Coming to the assistance of the beleaguered Byzantine Empire was an act of farsighted and self interested statesmanship. By defeating the Islamic threat in the East the freedom of Western Europe was secured for another four centuries. It was only when the West failed to act - standing indifferently aside while the remnant of the Byzantine Empire was extinguished and its Christian inhabitants reduced to Dhimmitude in 1453 - that the West once again faced the threat of Muslim conquest. The floodgates of Islamic expansion were opened, and by 1529, and again in 1683, the invading Ottoman Turks reached the walls of Vienna - the very door-step of Western Europe.

The religious component of the First Crusade was the liberation of the Christian peoples of the Holy Land and the recovery of the sacred sites of Christianity. All wars need a higher purpose - a mission or cause to inspire the armies and win the support of the people. The liberation of the Holy Land was the mission that inspired the Crusading armies and the peoples of Christian Europe. But they also fought in defense of their co-religionists in the Byzantine Empire, and ultimately in defense of European Civilization itself. The Islamic Jihad was pushed back in Anatolia and the Levant and held in check for three hundred years - until the fall of the last Christian stronghold in the East in 1291. At the same time Sicily was recovered and the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) from its Islamic conquerors was begun. These Crusades enabled Christian Europe to live in safety and security for four hundred years - until the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453.

All too often the Crusades are trivialized by contemporary Islamists and "politically correct" western writers who wrench them out of their historic context and portray them as an act of unprovoked western aggression against a peaceful Islam. In fact they were a long overdue response to four hundred years of Islamic aggression against the Christian World.

2 out of 5 stars Ho-hum another crusade book.......2007-05-27

Here the auther had an oppurtunity to write a book from the perspective of each player, but instead took the course of every other crusade author and give an account purely from the Christian crusader perspective. Also at times, it seams as if the auther was cheering on the Crusaders and spent a lot of time justifying some of the atrocities commited.

4 out of 5 stars Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this .......2007-02-27

This books starts out rather slowly, with a dry academicy analysis of why the Pope called the crusdade. But once the boots hit the road to the Holy Land, the book really takes off.

It reads sort of like a tour guide through the entire First Crusade. He takes you through the struggle, the political intrigue, the strategy of the Christian leaders.

He suceeded in making the first crusade "come alive" for the reader, which is really the mark of a good history book.


Also note, that most of the people who gave this book 1 star did so because they were angry at how the author protrayed the Pope. Don't be thrown off by that, it was a good book, and the vast majority of the book is a protrayal of the crusade itself. The author really doesn't play up the 'roots btween christianity and islam' as the title suggests.

1 out of 5 stars Poorly researched populist pulp.......2007-02-04

Thomas Asbridge makes some fundamental mistakes in an effort to blame-shift the cause of the crusades onto the Papacy.

One such fundamental mistake is to state that (aside from Iberia) Islam and Christendom had been fairly at peace for more than a century.

In effect he wants to suggest that out of the blue the Popes decided to attack Islamic controlled territory. He simply misses out on the many ongoing conflicts such as in Sicily, raids upon southern France, and attacks on the (Eastern) Roman Empire including the major battle of Manzikert (1071). The omission of this battle alone from any consideration is startling.

This alone should be enough to make people wary of buying a book that was written to make revisionist history popular. Many of the glowing accounts about this book are by people who no doubt rely solely upon this work for information from this period.


4 out of 5 stars An excellent history with a major flaw.......2007-01-30

As previous reviewers have said this is a well written book that is easy to read and historically accurate. It is fairly even handed in its treatment of the crusaders and does a pretty good job of explaining their motives, actions and results.

The major flaw is that it neglects the historical context. By that I do not mean the cultural and circumstantial factors in which the first crusade took place. That is well reported. What is missing is the preceding 400 years of Islamic Jihad against the west. Mr. Asbridge asserts that because of the first crusade "The lines of discord hardened. Christendom and Islam had been set on the path to enduring conflict." Perhaps the first crusade had that effect on the attitudes of Muslims who were not used to being on the receiving end of religious violence. However, for the Christians who had been the victims of Islamic violence for the 400 years prior to the first crusade their attitudes concerning Islam as a religion of aggression and conquest had been shaped much earlier. They knew from bitter experience that Islam is a religion of bloodshed and conquest and that if not stopped all Christendom would be under its boot.
Can anyone doubt that the Islamic conquests of all of North Africa, the middle east, Spain, the "Holy Lands," and invasions in France caused "the lines of religious discord" to harden or that they set "Christendom and Islam on the path to enduring conflict?" These countries and regions all had predominantly Christian populations. Does anyone believe that those Christians thought there was no connection between Islam and the soldiers who yelled "Allah-Akbar" as they killed, pillaged and raped their way through Christian countries and homes?
All the crusades together lasted less than 200 years. That is half the time that Islamic Jihads against Christendom had taken place before the first crusade was initiated. The Muslims had also conquered large parts of India, western China and parts of Mongolia. Their wars of aggression in the name of Allah created an empire that stretched from the deserts of Mongolia all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. All of this happened before the first crusade took place. After the last crusade ended and the crusaders left the Holy Lands the Muslims resumed their intermittant Jihads for another 500 years against Europe, Central Asia, China, and elsewhere.
No, the first crusade did not set "the path to enduring conflict." It was in large part a response to centuries of Islamic aggression against the rest of the world including Christendom. This lack of perspective makes what is otherwise a good book a deficient history of the first Crusade.

Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (From the Beginning to 1715) (6th Edition)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (From the Beginning to 1715) (6th Edition)
    Mark Kishlansky
    Manufacturer: Longman
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Early CivilizationEarly Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Civilization in the West, Volume I (to 1715) (Book Alone) (6th Edition) Civilization in the West, Volume I (to 1715) (Book Alone) (6th Edition)
    2. The West: Encounters & Transformations, Volume I (to 1715), Atlas Edition (2nd Edition) The West: Encounters & Transformations, Volume I (to 1715), Atlas Edition (2nd Edition)
    3. A Brief History of Western Civilization: The Unfinished Legacy, Volume I (to 1715) (4th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series) A Brief History of Western Civilization: The Unfinished Legacy, Volume I (to 1715) (4th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
    4. Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume II (5th Edition) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume II (5th Edition)
    5. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, A Concise History The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, A Concise History

    ASIN: 0321243412

    Book Description

    Sources of the West presents a well-balanced selection of readings that integrate coverage of social, economic, religious, and cultural history within a traditional, political framework.

    The text includes constitutional documents, political theory, philosophy, imaginative literature, and social description that raise significant issues for classroom discussions or lectures. By reading the voices of the past, students can connect them to the present; learn to understand and respect other cultures; and think critically about history.

    Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (5th Edition)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (5th Edition)
      Mark Kishlansky
      Manufacturer: Longman
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
      Civilization & CultureCivilization & Culture | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
      All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (From the Beginning to 1715) (6th Edition) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (From the Beginning to 1715) (6th Edition)
      2. A Brief History of Western Civilization: The Unfinished Legacy, Volume I (to 1715) (4th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series) A Brief History of Western Civilization: The Unfinished Legacy, Volume I (to 1715) (4th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)
      3. Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition
      4. Civilization in the West, Volume I (to 1715) (Book Alone) (6th Edition) Civilization in the West, Volume I (to 1715) (Book Alone) (6th Edition)
      5. World History: The Human Journey World History: The Human Journey

      ASIN: 0321105508

      Book Description

      Sources of the West, Fourth Edition explores significant issues in the history of Western Civilization.It presents a well-balanced selection of constitutional documents, political theory, philosophy, imaginative literature, and social description. MARKET Appropriate for anyone interested in the history of western civilization.
      Legacy of the West, Volume I: Readings in the History of Western Civilization (Legacy of the West Vol. 1)
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Legacy of the West, Volume I: Readings in the History of Western Civilization (Legacy of the West Vol. 1)
        David B. Mock
        Manufacturer: Longman
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Explore the World | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
        Civilization & CultureCivilization & Culture | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Children's BooksChildren's Books | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. The West: Encounters & Transformations, Concise Edition, Volume I (MyHistoryLab Series) The West: Encounters & Transformations, Concise Edition, Volume I (MyHistoryLab Series)

        ASIN: 0673469999
        Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (From the Beginning to 1715) (7th Edition)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume I (From the Beginning to 1715) (7th Edition)
          Mark Kishlansky
          Manufacturer: Longman
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
          ASIN: 0205568394

          Book Description

          Sources of the West presents a well-balanced selection of readings that integrate coverage of social, economic, religious, and cultural history within a traditional, political framework.

          The text includes constitutional documents, political theory, philosophy, imaginative literature, and social description that raise significant issues for classroom discussions or lectures. By reading the voices of the past, students can connect them to the present; learn to understand and respect other cultures; and think critically about history.

          The Book of Yields, 5th Edition
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • This book doesn't leave my kitchen
          • This book doesn't leave my kitchen
          • This book doesn't leave my kitchen
          • This book doesn't leave my kitchen
          • This book doesn't leave my kitchen
          The Book of Yields, 5th Edition
          Francis T. Lynch
          Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Spiral-bound

          GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
          AccountingAccounting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books | Auditing | Bookkeeping | Financial | General | Governmental | International | Management | Taxes
          Hospitality, Travel & TourismHospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
          ProfessionalProfessional | Professional Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
          QuantityQuantity | Professional Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
          Food ScienceFood Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Food Sciences | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
          All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          Cooking, Food & WineCooking, Food & Wine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          ScienceScience | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          Similar Items:
          1. The Book of Yields: Accuracy in Food Costing and Purchasing The Book of Yields: Accuracy in Food Costing and Purchasing

          ASIN: 1892735067

          Book Description

          The Book of Yields is a comprehensive collection of accurate food measurements: weight-to-volume equivalents, trim yields and cooking yields for over 900 practical foods. The foods are scratch items, not pre-prepped, frozen or convenience foods, whose weights or portion yields are already stated on the package. The foods are categorized by type: dry or fresh herbs, vegetables, fruit, flours, rices, meats, poultry, etc. The measures used for each type of food reflect the ways that that particular type of food is normally measured in recipes. For instance, the Dry Herbs section states how many tablespoons of each herb or spice are in 1 ounce or how many individual pieces (cloves or peppercorns for instance) are in 1 Tablespoon and/or in 1 ounce. Produce items state the trim yields as both a weight and a percentage of the original weight plus they state how many cups of a trimmed and cut fruit or vegetable are obtained from the original weight and what one cup, trimmed weighs.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars This book doesn't leave my kitchen.......2003-01-14

          I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

          5 out of 5 stars This book doesn't leave my kitchen.......2003-01-14

          I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

          5 out of 5 stars This book doesn't leave my kitchen.......2003-01-14

          I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

          5 out of 5 stars This book doesn't leave my kitchen.......2003-01-14

          I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

          5 out of 5 stars This book doesn't leave my kitchen.......2003-01-14

          I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

          The New Politics of American Trade : Trade Labor and the Environment (Policy Analyses in International Economics)
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The New Politics of American Trade : Trade Labor and the Environment (Policy Analyses in International Economics)
            I. M. Destler , Peter J. Balint , and Institute for International Economics (U. S.)
            Manufacturer: Institute for International Economics
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            Policy & Current EventsPolicy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            Development & GrowthDevelopment & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            Economic Policy & DevelopmentEconomic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            Exports & ImportsExports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            InternationalInternational | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
            Federal GovernmentFederal Government | Levels of Government | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
            All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
            Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
            NonfictionNonfiction | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
            Similar Items:
            1. The Politics of International Economic Relations The Politics of International Economic Relations
            2. Global Political Economy Global Political Economy
            3. Terrorism And 9/11: A Reader Terrorism And 9/11: A Reader
            4. American Trade Politics, Fourth Edition American Trade Politics, Fourth Edition
            5. Abortion and the Politics of Motherhood (California Series on Social Choice & Political Economy) Abortion and the Politics of Motherhood (California Series on Social Choice & Political Economy)

            ASIN: 0881322695

            Book Description

            "The New Politics of American Trade: Trade, Labor and the Environment", supplement to "American Trade Politics" by I.M. Destler and Peter J. Balint, shows how trade advocates and labor and environmental skeptics differ significantly in both their substantive views and their political and organizational cultures. The authors demonstrate how this new challenge differs from that of traditional trade protectionism, likening it instead to the debate a century ago over whether and how to regulate American capitalism for social purposes. The analysis leads to a set of recommendations aimed at constructive compromise and a new political foundation for US trade policy leadership.

            The New Politics of American Trade: Trade, Labor, and the Environment ISBN 0881322695

            American Trade Politics, 3rd Edition ISBN: 0881322156

            American Trade Politics and New Politics of American Trade Supplement, ISBN 088132292X
            The Challenges of the U.S.-Japan Military Arrangement: Competing Security Transitions in a Changing International Environment (East Gate Books)
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              The Challenges of the U.S.-Japan Military Arrangement: Competing Security Transitions in a Changing International Environment (East Gate Books)
              Anthony Difilippo
              Manufacturer: M.E. Sharpe
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

              GeneralGeneral | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
              JapanJapan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Military | History | Subjects | Books
              Military ScienceMilitary Science | History | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              RelationsRelations | International | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              Federal GovernmentFederal Government | Levels of Government | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
              ASIN: 0765610183
              What We've Lost: How the Bush Administration Has Curtailed Our Freedoms, Mortgaged Our Economy, Ravaged Our Environment, and Damaged Our Standing in the World
              Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
              • Losing Precious Time Reading This Book
              • THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!
              • Lucid Study of the Bush Administration Reveals a Sad State
              • How recent politics has caused us to lose so much
              • Do not vote until you read his book!
              What We've Lost: How the Bush Administration Has Curtailed Our Freedoms, Mortgaged Our Economy, Ravaged Our Environment, and Damaged Our Standing in the World
              Graydon Carter
              Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

              GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              U.S.U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Political Doctrines | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              Executive BranchExecutive Branch | United States | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              All DealsAll Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
              NonfictionNonfiction | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
              Similar Items:
              1. Warrior King: The Case for Impeaching George Bush Warrior King: The Case for Impeaching George Bush
              2. Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency
              3. Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy
              4. The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina
              5. State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration

              ASIN: 0374288925
              Release Date: 2004-08-26

              Book Description

              What We've Lost addresses the fragile state of U.S. democracy with a critical review of the Bush administration by one of our leading magazine editors, Graydon Carter. Carter has expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the current state of the nation in his monthly editor's letters in Vanity Fair--which have aroused widespread comment--and now provides a sweeping, painstakingly detailed account of the ruinous effects of this president.

              The invasion of Iraq, which has proven so costly for the U.S. in lives, dollars, and international standing, is only the tip of the iceberg. It is the war at home, a quiet, covert, and in many ways more lasting and damaging war, that Carter is most wary of. The Bush White House has chipped away at decades' worth of advances in personal rights, women's rights, the economy, and the environment. It is difficult to point to a single element of American society that comes under federal jurisdiction that is not worse off now than it was an administration ago, from civil liberties to the economy, foreign affairs to the environment.

              Carter discusses these topics and many more with great cogency and specificity, detailing what Bush's radical agenda means for America's future--and its future standing in the world. What We've Lost is not the position paper of a policy wonk or a pundit, but the impassioned argument of a concerned citizen in response to the most precarious political crisis of our time.

              Download Description

              The editor of Vanity Fair magazine offers a hard-hitting assessment of the current

              Customer Reviews:

              2 out of 5 stars Losing Precious Time Reading This Book.......2006-05-04

              Graydon Carter is the Editor in Chief of Vanity Fair magazine and he is an outspoken critic of the Bush administration and its many failed policies. He wrote this book as a way to reach out to the public with facts and other official information showing why Bush is unfit to hold the office of the presidency and how much we have lost since he took the oath of office in January, 2001.

              Carter spends most of his time in this book talking about specific parts of the failed Bush agenda and why they are wrong for America and the world. He begins with the military operatives in the Middle East because it is this military buildup and the reality of war that has shaped much of the president's policy- both foreign and domestic- and given the administration excuses for curtailing civil liberties, growing the size of government to record levels, and exponentially increasing the size of the federal budget deficit. What Carter talks about in these first couple of chapters is nothing new: The Bush administration created the Iraqi threat to have an excuse to invade; completely ignored the fact that the majority of the terrorists were Saudis; deliberately avoided publicly talking about Osama Bin Laden in order to shift the emphasis to Iraq; etc. These observations, and others like them, have been stated by many analysts, journalists, politicians, and other people, both expert and non- expert alike.

              With the remaining chapters, Carter illustrates what Americans have lost with specific chapters on key topics like the economy, education, the environment, and others. In these and other chapters, he relies on statistics and quotes to drive his points home. There is little in the way of actual commentary by Carter. He feels the facts and quotations of others are enough to convince readers that the American people have sacrificed many things under Bush and that four more years with him in office would only compound the problem.

              Some of what Carter says hits home, and many readers will have their own personal favorite topic or chapter. I like the facts about the explosion of red ink under Bush and the faltering economy and I think Carter's decision to include so many facts- along with anti Bush quotations from Republicans- does add credibility to his side. But there are several things about this book that take away from its potential as an informational source. First, I get really tired of Carter's persistent labeling of people. He goes on a tirade where he refers to people and policies with his "Right- wing" this, "Right wing" that, "ultra- conservative", and other rhetoric. Often, his labeling makes no sense and even contradicts itself. For example, there are places in the book where he attacks a Bush appointee as "anti- government" and then proceeds to explain how this appointee plans to use government to enforce his/her own social agenda- one that includes suppression of civil liberties and other rights. If someone is anti- government, they would most certainly not want to use government to further their own social agenda. These people are actually very pro- government. The only difference between them and other pro- government politicians is the way they want to use/abuse government power. Carter makes no attempt to explain this important difference.

              Another thing that Carter does throughout this book is look for studies and statistics to back his own point of view, completely ignoring studies that have reached opposite conclusions. I can't really blame Carter too much for this because all political books do it, at least to an extent. But some of his sources are pretty far- fetched, like one that he quotes in the book that says the Social Security system is on solid financial footing and will be for many decades to come. Carter probably had to search long and hard to find a study like that one. I have conducted my own research on the issue and my studies show the Social Security pyramid slowly collapsing (assuming the present tax rate and retirement age stay the same) in less then 20 years. Also, Carter relies on certain sources a little too frequently, like "Mother Jones" magazine. It shouldn't be too surprising that he would choose a publication like this one to quote (given its political stand on the issues) but a little more widespread distribution on sources would have made the book stronger and more appealing.

              In some other parts of the book, the author even gets a little bit insulting, like when he talks about the subject of affirmative action. The book speaks about this subject like it is an essential part of any economy and the author even has the gall to suggest that people like Condi Rice and Clarence Thomas would never have succeeded in any way without the aid of affirmative action! Carter might have intended his words on this subject to be interpreted differently, but the way I read it is that these two individuals don't have the intelligence to succeed on their own and that only government intervention can create opportunity for "oppressed" groups of people.

              Other things about this book that bug me are its lack of any humor and its structure. Many other political books like this one try to lighten up the reading with some occasional sarcasm and good- humored wit. But Carter does nothing of the kind, preferring instead to keep his book straight and narrow. He is serious about how he feels and he keeps the tone of the book on this level from start to finish. Then, there is the structure of the book. I don't like the insertion of stand- alone quotations with no text leading into the quotation. Quotes are good and they add value to any book but I don't think they are handled well in this book (they jump out of nowhere). I also don't like the fact that he includes no footnote section or index. He mentions his sources as he quotes the facts (most of the time, anyway). I would like it better if there was a section at the end of the book complete with sources. And in some instances, it almost seems like Carter is deliberately "padding" his book. For example, there is a section near the beginning that lists the individual names of all the people killed in the Iraqi conflict (at the time this book was written). A simple listing of the number killed from each country would have been good enough. There was no need to take up space with all these names.

              This is a difficult book to judge. On one hand, I admire the fact that Carter wants to let the world know just how damaging the Bush administration has been to America. But on the other hand, his writing leaves much to be desired and it doesn't really point out anything that others haven't already stated before (and stated better!) in other books and periodicals. For these reasons, I'm going to give "What We've Lost" a non- recommendation. It has some important things to say about a very important topic, but it doesn't go about it in the most convincing way and what it says has been stated thousands of times before.


              5 out of 5 stars THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!.......2006-01-27

              Right on for the author!
              What a great, eye opening book! I wish I could give it 100 stars! Finally, someone tells it like it is and backs it with facts! Now, knowing what we have learned so far, I just want to know one thing-WHEN IS PART-2 OF THIS BOOK GOING TO BE PUBLISHED? Because I already have a spot for it on my shelf!
              And Bush surely has done enough since this book was published to warrant a second book, has he not?

              4 out of 5 stars Lucid Study of the Bush Administration Reveals a Sad State.......2004-10-20

              Yet another distinguished voice has joined the chorus of those who have recognized how the Bush administration has significantly and perhaps irreparably weakened our democratic processes. Graydon Carter, the editor-in-chief of "Vanity Fair", uses his journalistic skills effectively by researching and presenting facts and statistics and verifying sources for legitimacy. The result is the ideal complement to the excellent books authored by his political brethren, Senator Robert's Byrd's "Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency" and Senator Bob Graham's "Intelligence Matters". What makes Carter resonate even more is the fact that he never strays from his point to spout his own biases or beliefs. Despite the often negative findings presented, this book is not a personal attack on the President. Rather, in a more dispassionate tone than either Byrd or Graham could muster, it's an attack on the destructive errors of an administration that believes they are above the Constitution.

              Carter organizes his book according to the major issues such as, of course, the war, the Patriot Act, Medicare and public funding for domestic programs. The longest and most revealing chapter is on the environment, which explains everything you were afraid was happening from how many acres of forest and wetland have been lost to the unsigned Kyoto treaty. Even though Social Security is in good shape now, Carter points out that we are in debt to the world's other strongest nations, the same ones we used to fund. In fact, it is only our past reputation that prevents us from facing an Argentina-size economic crisis, and even our nation's global standing is tenuous. According to Carter, it took us two centuries to build our position as a global leader only to see one administration destroy it, perhaps irrevocably. This is among the most clear-eyed books about the Bush administration, and coming out just weeks before the election, one you will need to move up your priority reading list post haste. The book is heavy on statistics, but Carter's findings will likely enlighten you. Highly recommended.

              4 out of 5 stars How recent politics has caused us to lose so much.......2004-10-18

              The subtitle for this text clearly indicates the purpose of the text - How the Bush Administration Has Curtailed Our Freedoms, Mortgaged Our Economy, Ravaged Our Environment, and Damaged Our Standing in the World. The various chapters cover items like the wars, military, secrecy, the economy, the environment, education, health care, the judiciary, state of the Union, and our reputation. Chapter 11 is particularly interesting as it shows the presidency "by the numbers". Basically, it is a collection of statistical information in simple statement form which shows things like the number of treasury agents investigating Osama bin Laden's and Saddam Hussein's money (4), amount offered by a group of veterans to anyone who could confirm Bush's Alabama guard service ($3,500), etc. A total of 404 different statistics are listed. The included information comes from multiple reliable sources and Mr. Carter has done his homework documenting the sources. At times it is obviously slanted, for example, the number of young adults that can't locate the Pacific Ocean on a map (30%) is a problem that we have known about for several years including well before Bush's presidency. Relevant most of the time, a curiosity at other times, interesting all of the time, What We've Lost is a recommended read.

              5 out of 5 stars Do not vote until you read his book!.......2004-10-16

              To the average Republican, this may read as a conspiracy theory book, but it's NOT. The author has thouroughly researched this book, and the result is a dubious description of the unconscionable activities of the Bush administration. From the elections in Florida right through April 2004 it gives example after examples of the administration lying to Congress and the American public. Topics covered are the Iraq, the economy, the environment (not mentioned is a single debate, much to my dismay), the Patriot Act, the treatment of the military, education (No Child Left Behind Act), and healt care, among others. It is amazing to me (though after all the bald-faced lying, not so much) how this administration has managed to hookwink so many Americans. Don't let yourself be one of them.
              The Environment, International Relations, and U.S. Foreign Policy
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                The Environment, International Relations, and U.S. Foreign Policy

                Manufacturer: Georgetown University Press
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                RelationsRelations | International | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                ConservationConservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                ASIN: 0878408339
                Environmental Diplomacy: An Examination and a Prospective of Canadian-U.S. Transboundary Environmental Relations
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Environmental Diplomacy: An Examination and a Prospective of Canadian-U.S. Transboundary Environmental Relations
                  John E. Carroll
                  Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover

                  GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
                  Social Services & WelfareSocial Services & Welfare | Poverty | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                  GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                  RelationsRelations | International | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                  GeneralGeneral | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                  Federal GovernmentFederal Government | Levels of Government | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                  Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
                  Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: 0472100297

                  Book Description

                  An examination of Canadian/U.S. environmental disputes.
                  International Equity and Global Environmental Politics: Power and Principles in U.S. Foreign Policy (Global Environmental Governance)
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    International Equity and Global Environmental Politics: Power and Principles in U.S. Foreign Policy (Global Environmental Governance)
                    Paul G. Harris
                    Manufacturer: Ashgate Publishing
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover

                    GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                    RelationsRelations | International | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                    Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
                    Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
                    ASIN: 0754617351
                    Analysis of investment process in health and the environment in the U.S.-Mexico border states (Studies series)
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Analysis of investment process in health and the environment in the U.S.-Mexico border states (Studies series)
                      Michael G Ellis
                      Manufacturer: Pan American Health Organization
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Unknown Binding

                      Public PolicyPublic Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                      Public HealthPublic Health | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books
                      Natural ResourcesNatural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
                      ASIN: B0006QJ518

                      Books:

                      1. The Flame Keepers: The True Story of an American Soldier's Survival Inside Stalag 17
                      2. The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783
                      3. The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War
                      4. The Last Ridge: The Epic Story of America's First Mountain Soldiers and the Assault on Hitler's Europe
                      5. The Marine Officer's Guide
                      6. The Mask of Command
                      7. The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea
                      8. The Passing of Armies: An Account Of The Final Campaign Of The Army Of The Potomac
                      9. The Punic Wars: Rome, Carthage, and the Struggle for the Mediterranean
                      10. The Red Horseman

                      Books Index

                      Books Home

                      Recommended Books

                      1. Rising Storm
                      2. History: Fiction or Science
                      3. Mademoiselle Benoir: A Novel
                      4. Let's Cook It Right
                      5. In Camera: Francis Bacon: Photography, Film and the Practice of Painting
                      6. How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office
                      7. Multivariate Data Analysis
                      8. Wind: How the Flow of Air Has Shaped Life, Myth, and the Land
                      9. Henry VIII: The King and His Court
                      10. The Genera of Australian Lichens