Based on the latest scholarship by experts in the field, this work provides an accessible guide to the Crusades fought for the liberation and defense of the Holy Land-one of the most enduring and consequential conflicts of the medieval world.
The Crusades to the Holy Land were one of the most important religious and social movements to emerge over the course of the Middle Ages. The warfare of the Crusades affected nearly all of Western Europe and involved members of social groups from kings and knights down to serfs and paupers. The memory of this epic long-ago conflict affects relations between the Western and Islamic worlds in the present day. The Crusades to the Holy Land: The Essential Reference Guide provides almost 90 A-Z entries that detail the history of the Crusades launched from Western Europe for the liberation or defense of the Holy Land, covering the inception of the movement by Pope Urban II in 1095 up to the early 14th century.
This concise single-volume work provides accessible articles and perspective essays on the main Crusade expeditions as well as the important crusaders, countries, places, and institutions involved. Each entry is accompanied by references for further reading. Readers will follow the career of Saladin from humble beginnings to becoming ruler of Syria and Egypt and reconquering almost all of the Holy Land from its Christian rulers; learn about the main sites and characteristics of the castles that were crucial to the Christian domination of the Holy Land; and understand the key aspects of crusading, from motivation and recruitment to practicalities of finance and transport. The reference guide also includes survey articles that provide readers with an overview of the original source materials written in Latin, Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Armenian, and Syriac.
- Presents concise, accessible articles written by more than 40 leading experts in the field that explain key concepts and describe important institutions of the Crusades
- Covers all main Crusades as well as the distinct countries and various personalities involved
- Includes maps that make clear the course of Crusades and main areas of campaigning in the Eastern Mediterranean region
- Documents the Christian principalities established in the course of the Crusades and the Muslim states that opposed them
- ISBN10 1610697790
- ISBN13 9781610697798
- Publish Date 28 April 2015
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint ABC-CLIO
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 330
- Language English