Osprey Essential Histories 1 : The Crusades

Born amid immense suffering and bloodshed the Kingdom of Jerusalem remained a battlefield for almost 200 years. The Crusades gave rise to the Military Orders of the Templars and Hopitallers, and were a backdrop to the careers of some of history's most famous leaders including Richard 'The Lionheart' and Saladin. Text by David Nicolle.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• Background to War : Christendom and Islam in the 11th century
• Warring Sides : Byzantines, Turks, Crusaders and Saracens
• Outbreak : The First Crusade
• The Fighting : Crusade and Jihad
• Portrait of a Soldier : Brothers in Arms : Two Crusaders : Two Fursan
• The World around War : The Impact of the Crusades on the Mediterranean and Beyond
• Portrait of a Civilian : A Saint, a Lady, a Rabbi and a Scholar
• How the War Ended : The Rise of the Mamluks and the Fall of the Crusader State
• Conclusion and Consequences : The Failure of an Idea and the Rebirth of Islamic Expansion