The Crusades

by David Nicolle

Overview

A concise and richly-illustrated beginner's introduction to the main events and personalities of the Crusades, between the Seljuk defeat of the Byzantine army in 1071 and the ascendancy of the Mamluks in 1302.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781841761794
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	01/19/2001
Series:	Essential Histories
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	6.68(w) x 9.91(h) x 0.23(d)

About the Author

David Nicolle is Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Medieval Studies, Nottingham University. He is the author of numerous books on aspects of medieval military history, including many for Osprey.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	7
	Chronology	11
	Background to war: Christendom and Islam in the 11th century	12
	Warring sides: Byzantines, Turks, Crusaders and Saracens	18
	Outbreak: The First Crusade	23
	The fighting: Crusade and jihad; consolidation of Islamic resistance	29
	Portrait of a soldier: Brothers in arms; two crusaders; two fursan	55
	The world around war: The impact of the Crusades on the Mediterranean and beyond	60
	Portrait of a civilian: A saint, a lady, a scholar and a rabbi	73
	How the war ended: The rise of the Mamluks and the fall of the Crusader State	76
	Conclusion and consequences: The failure of an idea and the rebirth of Islamic expansionism	81
	Further reading	89
	Glossary	91
	Index	94

Editorial Reviews

This lavishly illustrated mini-text introduces readers to the hundreds of years of conflict commonly known in Western history as the Crusades. The author (affiliation unknown) details topics such as who the warring sides were and how certain battles played out, as well as providing portraits of foot soldiers and civilians involved at a variety of levels in the conflicts. Color and b&w photographs, maps, and drawings highlight both the details of some of the campaigns and the rich artistic and architectural heritage of the period. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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