The Crusades: The War Against Islam 1096-1798

A revised edition of Billings' attractive history of the Crusades, an offshoot of the BBC Radio 4 series The Cross and the Crescent , which is updated with new archaeological and historical evidence. Discoveries, including recent excavations in Acre and the discovery of manuscripts in Bavaria, suggests that there was a greater level of interaction between Muslims and Christians than has been thought, even though many events have still not been forgiven. Richly illustrated throughout, Billings explores each crusade in turn, its leaders, the Muslim response, the architectural legacy, the artistic representations and contemporary documents. An enjoyable overview of the implications of the driving medieval impulse to crusade.