The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading

The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading
By Jonathan Riley-Smith
Continuum Publishing (Sept. 2000) | ISBN: 0826467261 | 236 Pages
PDF | English | 12 MB

This is a brilliant book by a leading historian of the crusades. It needs to be understood on its own terms: it's a detailed analysis of why so many Europeans set off on the 1st Crusade. Riley-Smith has produced a closely-argued analysis that places the crusade within the context of the world of eleventh-century Europe that created it. This isn't the place to go if you want accounts of the battles of the crusade, and it isn't a light read but it's very clear, dynamic and extremely valuable. The author presents facts in an interesting and condensed way, and he does take time to explain the sources he has used in his investigation.

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