Crusades 1095-1197

The age of the Crusades exerts a powerful grip on the contemporary imagination. The word 'crusade' is still in everyday use - and misuse - as invoking a sense of right or moral worth. But what really motivated the crusaders back in the eleventh and twelfth centuries? What impelled men to march 4000 kilometres, risking starvation and battle, to take the holy city of Jerusalem, and then to establish a Christian presence in the Levant? And what was the response of the Muslim world to this new phenomenon? The Crusades, 1095-1197 explores the origins and development of the crusades in their proper historical context. Narrative chapters cover: * the First Crusade and the capture of Jerusalem (1099)* the process of Frankish settlement* the failure of the Second Crusade (1145-49)* the rise of Saladin* Richard the Lionheart and the Final Crusade (1189-92) Thematic chapters also consider issues such as the Military Orders, kingship, castles and warfare. A Chronology, Who's Who and Documents from Christian and Muslim writers ensure that the book provides an accessible and lively insight into one of the most compelling periods of history. Jonathan Phillips is Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at Royal Holloway, University of London.Phillips, Jonathan is the author of 'Crusades 1095-1197', published 2002 under ISBN 9780582328228 and ISBN 0582328225.