A History of the Crusades
A History of the Crusades

Author: Steven Runciman

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1987-12-03

Total Pages: 412

ISBN-13: 9780521347709

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Sir Steven Runciman explores the First Crusade and the foundation of the kingdom of Jerusalem.

Downfall of the Crusader Kingdom
Downfall of the Crusader Kingdom

Author: W B Bartlett

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2011-09-30

Total Pages: 341

ISBN-13: 0752468073

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Downfall of the Crusader Kingdom tells the story of the reason for Richard the Lionheart's infamous Third Crusade, culminating in the disastrous battle of Hattin in 1187. Hattin is one of the few battles in history that can truly be called decisive, and it was a catastrophe for the Crusaders. The leading men of the kingdom of Jerusalem, including the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers, were trapped in arid wasteland, without water and surrounded by hostile forces. The battle ended with thousands of them being taken prisoner. It was the culmination of a series of events that had been progressively leading the kingdom of Jerusalem down the road to oblivion. It was partly the resurgence of the Muslim Middle East and the rise of Saladin that led to the loss of Jerusalem, but there was another equally dangerous element at work – the enemy within. W.B. Bartlett tells the story of naked ambition and intrigue that led to bitter infighting and ultimately the downfall of the Christian crusaders.

The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: Volume 3, The City of Jerusalem
The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: Volume 3, The City of Jerusalem

Author: Denys Pringle

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 546

ISBN-13: 9780521390385

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This is the third in a series of four volumes that are intended to present a complete Corpus of all the church buildings, of both the Western and the Oriental rites, built, rebuilt or simply in use in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem between the capture of Jerusalem by the First Crusade in 1099 and the loss of Acre in 1291. This volume deals exclusively with Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom from 1099 to 1187, leaving the churches of Acre and Tyre to be covered in the fourth and final volume. The Corpus will be an indispensable work of reference to all those concerned with the medieval topography and archaeology of the Holy Land, with the history of the church in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, with medieval pilgrimage to the Holy Places, and with the art and architecture of the Latin East.

Downfall of the Crusader Kingdom
Downfall of the Crusader Kingdom

Author: W B Bartlett

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2011-09-30

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0752468073

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Third Crusade of Richard the Lionheart is well known but the build-up to it less so. Downfall of the Crusader Kingdom is a story of intrigue, plot and counter-plot, and the abuse of power culminating in the most decisive battle of the medieval epoch, the Battle of Hattin in 1187. Hattin is one of the few battles in history that can truly be called decisive, and it was a catastrophe for the Crusaders. The leading men of the kingdom of Jerusalem, including the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers, were trapped in an arid wasteland, without water and surrounded by hostile forces. The battle ended with thousands of them being taken prisoner. It was the culmination of a series of events that had been progressively leading the kingdom of Jerusalem down the road to oblivion. It was partly the resurgence of the Muslim Middle East and the rise of Saladin that led to the loss of Jerusalem, but there was another equally dangerous element at work - the enemy within. W B Bartlett brings to life the bitter infighting and political battles which ultimately led to the disaster at Hattin and the downfall of the Crusader kingdom.

The Leper King and His Heirs
The Leper King and His Heirs

Author: Bernard Hamilton

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2005-07-07

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 9780521017473

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The reign of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (1174-85) has traditionally been seen as a period of decline when, because of the king's illness, power came to be held by unsuitable men who made the wrong policy decisions. Notably, they ignored the advice of Raymond of Tripoli and attacked Saladin, who was prepared to keep peace with the Franks while uniting the Islamic near east under his rule. This book challenges that view, arguing that peace with Saladin was not a viable option for the Franks; that the young king, despite suffering from lepromatous leprosy (the most deadly form of the disease) was an excellent battle leader who strove with some success to frustrate Saladin's imperial ambitions; that Baldwin had to remain king in order to hold factions in check; but that the society over which he presided was, contrary to what is often said, vigorous and self-confident.