The Spectacular Downfall of Bad King John

Absolute History, a British-based Youtube channel that's "the home of fun, shocking, and curious tales from throughout history. From Tony Robinson's Worst Jobs in History to Suzannah Lipscomb's Hidden Killers, join us to learn about our history the entertaining way." Sir Anthony Robinson "is an English actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, presenter, and political activist. He …

Is There Any Truth to the King Arthur Legends?

Ted-ED: "King Arthur has risen again and again in our collective imagination, along with his retinue of knights, Guinevere, the Round Table, Camelot, and of course Excalibur. But where do these stories come from, and is there any truth to them? Alan Lupack traces the evolution of King Arthur. Lesson by Alan Lupack, directed by …

Western Vs. Eastern Christianity

"It's not just Orthodox vs Catholic, there's much more. But even there, where do the primary differences lie?" Ready to Harvest produced this video. It is a YouTube channel about Christian Denominations. The comments below the video praise it for non-partisanship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yk0slGP-rM

Traveling Back in Time to the 1100s

"What are you reading this summer? Do you have any books to recommend? I wanted something to expand my vision and transport me beyond the concerns of contemporary American life. I found the vehicle in Ken Follett’s bestselling historical novel, “Pillars of the Earth,” a book that has sold 26 million copies. Many members of Goodreads.com designate …

How Did the Scottish Clan System Collapse?

HistoryMarche: "Why Did the Scottish Clan System Collapse? Many pinpoint the bloody Battle of Culloden in 1746 as the moment where everything changed for Scotland’s clan system, as King George’s troops crushed the Jacobite rebellion. In what today might be considered ethnic cleansing, the ruling King of England ordered all supporters of the Jacobite cause …

Warm-Up Quotes from Ken Follett’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ to Reflect Upon

Pick one or two and reflect: 1."The book gave Jack a feeling he had never had before, that the past was like a story, in which one thing led to another, and the world was not a boundless mystery, but a finite thing that could be comprehended." 2.""You never know," Jack said speculatively. "There may …

Time-Traveling to the 1100s Via a Delightful Novel, ‘Pillars of the Earth’

A reader of novels would not automatically think that historical fiction set in England during the 12th century, about the building of the great cathedrals of Europe, would be a page-turner. I certainly would not have read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett if it were not recommended to me by my college roommate …

Saladan: Conquerer of The Crusaders of the Levant (Present-Day Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine)

"Al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, better known simply as Salah ad-Din or Saladin, was a Sunni Muslim Kurd who became the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria, founding the Ayyubid dynasty. Saladin led the Muslim military campaign against the Crusader states in the Levant." Wikipedia. Born: 1138, Tikrit, Iraq. Died: March 4, 1193, Damascus, Syria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M84RU8NO_9c The People …

Ottoman/Turkish Empire Grew Out of Nomadic Seljik Empire

The Turkic people originated in central Asia near Mongolia. Like the Mongols, they were highly skilled at war in the 10th and 11th centuries, particularly in their use of horses, bows, arrows and swords. They could fire the bow in any direction while riding a horse at any speed. They felt no need to hold …

The Crusades Explained in 14 Minutes

"The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were intended to recover Jerusalem and its surrounding area from Islamic rule." -- Wikipedia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2hqa3AX5kY …