The Templars and the Hospitallers were the two earliest and most famous of the major Military Orders of the Roman Catholic Church from the early twelfth to the middle of the thirteenth century. In ...this book, Jonathan Riley-Smith attends to the Templars' and Hospitallers' primary role as religious orders, not as military phenomena or economic powerhouses. In a prologue, four chapters, and an epilogue, Riley-Smith discusses the origins of the orders in dedication to the protection of pilgrims to the Holy Land (Templars) and to the care of the poor and the sick among them (Hospitallers). He examines their traditions and early history, the organization of their communities, modes of governance, and, in the fourth chapter, important differences between the orders and a brief account of their respective fates in the wake of the Crusades. The Templars were eventually persecuted by the Church and the order suppressed. Riley-Smith speculates that the violent end of the order was caused both by jealousy of its wealth and by internal problems of governance that left it vulnerable to accusations of conducting blasphemous rites. The Hospitallers survived in one form or another to the present day; vestiges of the original order inform the contemporary Knights of Malta.
This richly illustrated book presents a readable, authoritative, and comprehensive history of the Crusades, from the preaching of the First Crusade in 1095 to the legacy of crusading ideals and ...imagery today. Written by a team of leading Crusade scholars, it covers crusading in many different theatres of war, and highlights the remarkable art and architecture associated with the Crusades. - ;`Undertake this journey for the remission of your sins - assured of the imperishable glory of the kingdom of heaven.' When Pope Urban II made his famous speech in 1095 launching the First Crusade, he set in motion a movement that would involve every country in Europe, touch almost every aspect of life, the economy, and society, and have an enduring influence on the history of the Islamic world and the Baltic region. It is a story of popes and peasants, holy wars and barbarian invasions, sieges and slaughters, warriors whose names - Saladin, Richard the Lionheart - have entered the realm of legend.This richly illustrated book presents a readable, authoritative, and comprehensive history of the Crusades, from the preaching of the First Crusade in 1095 to the legacy of crusading ideals and imagery today. Written by a team of leading Crusade scholars, it covers crusading in many different theatres of war. The ideas of apologists, propagandists and poets, and the perceptions and motives of the crusaders themselves are described, as are the reactions of the Muslims to Christian holy war. Thebook highlights the remarkable art and architecture associated with the Crusades, and offers fascinating insights into the history of knightly orders, such as the Knights Templar and the Knights of St John. Including detailed reference material - maps, chronology, a guide to further reading, and a full index - this volume will be welcomed by anyone interested in the ideals and
history of the Crusades. Contributors: Jonathan Riley-Smith; Marcus Bull; Simon Lloyd; Michael Routledge; Jonathan Phillips; Jaroslav Folda; Denys Pringle; Alan Forey; Robert Irwin; Norman Housley; Peter Edbury; Anthony Luttrell; Elizabeth Siberry -.
Despite various studies on the development of crusading thought, the First Crusade itself has not been properly examined from this perspective. Drawing on a range of European chronicles and charter ...collections, this book discusses the launching of the First Crusade, the practical experience of the crusaders and the interpretations placed upon this experience by contemporary commentators.
Written by a team of leading scholars, this fascinating book presents an authoritative and comprehensive history of the Crusades from the preaching of the First Crusade in 1095 to the legacy of ...crusading ideas and imagery today. 'makes the results of the recent academic study of the Crusades accessible to a wide section of the general public and succeeds in conveying that this is a living and developing subject, which has far from exhausted its potential' THES 'The great merit of Professor Riley-Smith's book is to follow the story down to the present day' Church Times 'Detailed exploration of the plots, intrigue and subterfuge surrounding the events and leading protagonists make for fascinating reading' Universe 'fascinating ... a comprehensive history of the wars' History Today 'In a series of finely-crafted and admirably succinct essays the contributors unravel a number of important medieval political and religious themes. This comprehensive approach adds a great deal to the book's interest and presents some of the best insights of modern Crusading scholarship ... excellent' Tablet
