Born amid immense bloodshed and suffering, the Kingdom of Jerusalem remained a battlefield for almost 200 years. The long rivalry between Christianity and Islam which led to the Crusades gave rise to the Military Orders of the Templars and Hospitaliers, and provided a backdrop to the careers of some of history's most famous leaders, including Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. On occasion the savagery of the Crusaders left their opponents reeling, creating frictions that survived for more than 700 years. At the same time, as this book lavishly illustrates, art, architecture and learning all benefited from new knowledge the Crusaders brought back from the East.
Born in 1944, David Nicolle worked in the BBC's Arabic service for a number of years before gaining an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and a doctorate from Edinburgh University. He has written numerous books and articles on medieval and Islamic warfare, and has been a prolific author of Osprey titles for many years.
Pr. Robert O'Neill, AOD.Phil. (Oxon), Hon D. Litt. (ANU), FASSA, is the Series Editor of the Essential Histories. His wealth of knowledge and expertise shapes the series content and provides up-to-the-minute research and theory. Born in 1936 an Australian citizen, he served in the Australian army (1955-68) and has held a number of eminent positions in history circles, including the Chichele Professorship of the History of War at Ail Souls College, University of Oxford, 1987-2001, and the Chairmanship of the Board of the Imperia! War Museum and the Council of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, London. He is the author of many books including works on the German Army and the Nazi party, and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Now based in Australia on his retirement from Oxford, he was the Chairman of the Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, from 1999 to 2005. Professor O'Neill is currently the Planning Director of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.
