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Hospitallers: The History of the Order of St. John
The Hospitallers were a crusading order, founded in Jerusalem and devoted both to nursing and fighting the Infidel. This history traces the development of the Order of St John from 1099 through a mid-19th-century redefinition to its current position as a leading provider of emergency medical care.
152 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Jonathan Riley-Smith
43 books49 followersJonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Cambridge, was educated at Eton College and Trinity College Cambridge. He received his BA (1960), MA (1964), PhD (1964) and LittD (2001) from Cambridge.
From 1964–1972 Dr. Riley-Smith taught in the Department of Medieval History at the Unversity of St Andrews, first as assistant lecturer, until 1966, then as lecturer. From 1972 until 1978, he served on the history faculty at the University of Cambridge. He was professor of history at the University of London from 1978 until 1994. Since 1994, Professor Riley-Smith has served on the faculties of history and divinity at the University of Cambridge. He is a fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. From 1997 to 1999 he was chair of the faculty of history.
He was a founder member (1980), acting secretary (1980–1982) and president (1987–1995) of the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East. Other positions he has held include Knight of Grace and Devotion, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Officer of Merit, Order Pro Merito Melitens, and Knight of Justice, Most Venerable Order of St John.
From 1964–1972 Dr. Riley-Smith taught in the Department of Medieval History at the Unversity of St Andrews, first as assistant lecturer, until 1966, then as lecturer. From 1972 until 1978, he served on the history faculty at the University of Cambridge. He was professor of history at the University of London from 1978 until 1994. Since 1994, Professor Riley-Smith has served on the faculties of history and divinity at the University of Cambridge. He is a fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. From 1997 to 1999 he was chair of the faculty of history.
He was a founder member (1980), acting secretary (1980–1982) and president (1987–1995) of the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East. Other positions he has held include Knight of Grace and Devotion, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Officer of Merit, Order Pro Merito Melitens, and Knight of Justice, Most Venerable Order of St John.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 21, 2019
Very informative and helpful. Not at all a fun read, but then endless details on administration and conflict resolution in a multinational corporation never are.
I think the most surprising thing in this book was the way it challenges the way we'd tend to look at the Hospitallers today. Today, people think of the Templars as being fanatical warriors who never met a "Saracen" they didn't want to immediately hang, draw, and quarter, and they think of the Hospitallers as the kinder, nicer military order who mostly ran hospitals. IN FACT the truth is quite different. As Malcolm Barber points out in THE NEW KNIGHTHOOD, the Templars were a very conservative and cautious organisation who very rarely sought open war and were well adapted to diplomacy with Muslim neighbours.
Similarly, Riley-Smith's book makes it crystal clear that within fifty years of receiving exemptions to function as an autonomous military order answerable only to the Pope, indeed within the lifetime of only its second master, the Hospital had a reputation just as bad as the Templars' for greed, ruthlessness and rapacity which dogged its footsteps throughout the rest of the period covered. Its survival into the present day is due primarily to traits of adaptability and perseverance, along with a more decentralised and representational government structure which permitted it to weather the downfall of the Templars in the early fourteenth century.
I think the most surprising thing in this book was the way it challenges the way we'd tend to look at the Hospitallers today. Today, people think of the Templars as being fanatical warriors who never met a "Saracen" they didn't want to immediately hang, draw, and quarter, and they think of the Hospitallers as the kinder, nicer military order who mostly ran hospitals. IN FACT the truth is quite different. As Malcolm Barber points out in THE NEW KNIGHTHOOD, the Templars were a very conservative and cautious organisation who very rarely sought open war and were well adapted to diplomacy with Muslim neighbours.
Similarly, Riley-Smith's book makes it crystal clear that within fifty years of receiving exemptions to function as an autonomous military order answerable only to the Pope, indeed within the lifetime of only its second master, the Hospital had a reputation just as bad as the Templars' for greed, ruthlessness and rapacity which dogged its footsteps throughout the rest of the period covered. Its survival into the present day is due primarily to traits of adaptability and perseverance, along with a more decentralised and representational government structure which permitted it to weather the downfall of the Templars in the early fourteenth century.
December 1, 2023
Bust.
No doubt an authoritive account but not a fun one and not structured in a way that makes it flow. This is surely an adapted thesis and it feels like it.
No doubt an authoritive account but not a fun one and not structured in a way that makes it flow. This is surely an adapted thesis and it feels like it.
September 18, 2019
It's self-congratulatory and rather cleansed of salacious detail, as might be expected from an authorised history written by the Librarian of the Order of St John, but it's got lots of nice pictures and covers a broad scope.
February 23, 2017
Their hospital in Jerusalem was truly amazing, as was their service to the poor sick generally. I wish I could visit all their castles.
Pope Francis should quit making war on them for their adherence to Catholic doctrine, and beg them to reconstitute their military arm for the defense of Christians in the Middle East. They're being cleansed from that part of the world (for the first time in history) on his watch, and so far he hasn't managed to even raise a whimper about it.
Pope Francis should quit making war on them for their adherence to Catholic doctrine, and beg them to reconstitute their military arm for the defense of Christians in the Middle East. They're being cleansed from that part of the world (for the first time in history) on his watch, and so far he hasn't managed to even raise a whimper about it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews