An Introduction to the Crusades

S.J. Allen provides a pedagogically innovative introduction to the Crusades with numerous references to the documents in The Crusades: A Reader. Her development of the broad phenomena of crusading from the eleventh to the sixteenth century is concise and cogent. Chapters on the crusade experience in material and military terms and an interesting case study of the diplomatic interactions between Saladin and Richard the Lionheart are particularly welcome. A final chapter problematizes the concept of the Crusades with a survey of their evolving reception over time in history, literature, and film. -- Kathryn Reyerson, University of Minnesota For over a decade S.J. Allen and Emilie Amt's The Crusades: A Reader has been a standard classroom resource for students on the Crusades. Now, Allen has given us a handbook to that popular source collection. As a standalone text, this book would be a welcome addition to the rapidly growing range of textbook offerings on the Crusades. Allen's clear and accessible narrative balances a concise overview of crusading through 1291 with thematic analysis of logistics, combat, memory, and more. But as a companion to the reader, with its many cross references to those documents as well as to some of the most recent literature, the book is an even more effective resource. -- James D. Mixson, University of Alabama

An Introduction to the Crusades, part of the Companions to Medieval Studies series, is an accessible guide to studying the complex history of the Crusades.

An Introduction to the Crusades, part of the Companions to Medieval Studies series, is an accessible guide to studying the complex history of the Crusades.

The book begins by defining the Crusades, giving the political and social context of Byzantium, Western Europe, the Islamic States, and Jewish communities to set the scene for crusading from the eleventh century to the end of the medieval period. It then immerses the reader in the logistics of crusading and the day-to-day life of a crusader, explaining arms and armor, 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. A case study chapter on the negotiations for Jerusalem between Saladin and Richard I provides insight into the process of historical inquiry and methods for engaging with primary sources.

The book is pedagogically grounded through the inclusion of questions for reflection, sixteen images, four maps, a detailed chronology, a glossary, a "Who's Who" of the crusading world, and a bibliography.