An Introduction to the Crusades

by S.J. Allen

An Introduction to the Crusades is the perfect guide to a very complex historical period. It begins with a brief overview of the Crusades before immersing the reader in the logistics of crusading and the day-to-day life of a crusader, explaining arms and armour, strategy and tactics, and siege warfare. Topics explored in depth include women on crusade, pilgrimage, the Mongols, crusade charters, and the use of crusader rhetoric throughout history. The pinnacle of the book is an exploration of the Crusades in modern memory. Readers can look in on the negotiations for Jerusalem between Saladin and Richard I through a case study of Crusader primary sources. Questions for reflection, a chronology, a glossary, a bibliography, and a "Who's Who" of the crusading world round out this indispensable companion.

208 pages, Hardcover

Published May 4, 2017

About the author

Dr. S.J. Allen is a medieval historian and Associate Lecture for The Open University (UK). She holds an MA from the University of York, and doctorate (D.Phil.) from Oxford University. Her new book, An Introduction to the Crusades, will be published by University of Toronto Press in May, 2017. It supports The Crusades A Reader (Second Edition, 2014) and is part of UTP's Companions to Medieval Studies series (series editor: Paul Edward Dutton).

Reviews

[Libby Beyreis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good, solid introduction to the Crusades. Lots of good information, presented in a clear format, with links to helpful readings in the companion volume. Covers both the history and modern implications, and looks at things both from a Christian and Muslim perspective, with the benefits of all the latest research. It's not a detailed history, but it doesn't set out to be one. For what it is, it does that really well.