An Illustrated History of the Crusades and the Crusader Knights

The history, myth and romance of the medieval knight on crusade, with over 400 stunning images of the battles, adventures, sieges, fortresses, triumphs and defeats. The world of the crusading knight, the lands they lost and won, and the inspiration that motivated them. It covers the poignant failure of the Children’s Crusade, the Spanish Saracens, and the later Northern Crusades. It gives special attention to the rise and fall of the military orders of the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitallers. It details the voyages and battles that the knights undertook, and examines whether they were inspired by Christian zeal, wealth or glory. The medieval knights of western Europe were central to the Crusades, and this book tells their story. It examines the chivalric brotherhood of crusading knights, typified in the orders of the Knights Templar. It also details the battles fought, lost and won by the Crusaders, the castles they built, the states they founded, the marriages, alliances and dynasties they began, and their diversions, corruptions and failures. The glamorous figures of the most famous crusader knights, such as Robert of Jerusalem, are given special attention. Illustrated with over 400 images, this book celebrates the knights of those crusades, and offers a vivid insight into their lives.