The Crusades: A History

Description

The Crusades: A History is the definitive account of a key topic in medieval and religious history. Jonathan Riley-Smith, a world authority on the subject, explores the organisation of a crusade, the experience of crusading and the crusaders themselves, producing a textbook that is as accessible as it is comprehensive. This exciting new third edition includes: - Substantial new material on crusade theory, historiography and translated texts - An expanded scope that extends the text to cover the decline of crusading in the nineteenth century - Valuable pedagogical features, such as a revised bibliography, maps, illustrations and a brand new chronology This book is essential reading for all students and scholars seeking to understand the Crusades and their significance in world history.

Jonathan Riley-Smith was Emeritus Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Cambridge, UK. His many publications on the Crusades include What Were the Crusades? (2009), The Crusades, Christianity and Islam (2008) and The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading (1986).

Jonathan Riley-Smith has had a greater impact on the study of the crusades than any living scholar, and his command of every aspect of crusading, from the identity of participants to the history of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, is exceptional. Although there have been many general histories of the crusades, this book is something quite different: it has a wide geographical and chronological range and addresses fundamental issues, not least what we mean by 'crusade', with unusual authority and with characteristic enthusiasm. The publication of this new edition that takes into account much recent research is a landmark in the study of the crusades. * David Abulafia FBA, Professor of Mediterranean History, Cambridge University, UK *