Crusades

1095–1291 CE

The Crusades began with Pope Urban II’s call in 1095 and led to campaigns to the eastern Mediterranean, Iberia, the Baltic, and elsewhere. The best-known crusades involved attempts to capture, defend, or recover Jerusalem and other Holy Land territories. They drew in knights, kings, merchants, pilgrims, military orders, Byzantine rulers, and Muslim powers.

The Crusades matter because they combined religion, violence, diplomacy, colonisation, commerce, and cultural contact. They changed the relationship between western Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic world, often through conquest and brutality. They also produced military orders, crusader states, pilgrimage routes, and enduring memory.

Robyn Young’s Brethren trilogy, Jan Guillou’s Arn novels, Cecelia Holland’s Jerusalem, and many novels about Richard the Lionheart and Saladin use crusading as a central setting. Crusade fiction supports knightly idealism, religious zeal, disillusionment, siege warfare, divided loyalties, and encounters across cultures.

Related people for Crusades

Al-Musta’sim1212–1258 Baldwin IV of Jerusalemborn 1161 Balian of Ibelin1135–1193 Blondel de Nesle1155–c. 13th century Cadwaladr ap Gruffuddc. 12th century–1172 Conrad of Montferrat1146–1192 David I of Scotland1084–1153 Edward Bruce1275–1318 Edward II of England1284–1327 Edward I of England1239–1307 Eleanor of Aquitaine1124–1204 Empress Matilda1102–1167 Frederick Barbarossa1122–1190 Guy of Lusignan1150–1194 Henry III of England1207–1272 Henry II of England1133–1189 Henry of Blois1096–1171 Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor1165–1197 Hulagu Khan1217–1265 Isabella I of Jerusalem1172–1205 Isabella of France1295–1358 Jacques de Molaydied 1314 John, King of England1166–1216 John Marshal1105–1165 Kaloyan of Bulgaria1168–1207 Khutulunc. 1260–c. 1306 Kublai Khan1215–1294 Leopold V, Duke of Austria1157–1194 Llywelyn ap Gruffudd1220–1282 Louis VIII of France1187–1226 Louis VII of France1120–1180 Niketas Choniates1155–1217 Philip II of France1165–1223 Philip IV of France1268–1314 Raynald of Châtillon1120–1187 Richard I of England1157–1199 Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester1090–1147 Robert Curthose1054–1134 Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester1104–1168 Robert Pennantdied 1168 Robert the Bruce1274–1329 Roger de Clintonc. 11th century–1148 Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March1287–1330 Saladin1138–1193 Sibylla of Jerusalem1160–1190 Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester1208–1265 Stephen, King of England1095–1154 William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke1146–1219 William Wallace1270–1305

Series

Series about Crusades (1 series)

Roger of Huntley in Order

by Robert Broomall 5 books 4.5

The Roger of Huntley series follows a fugitive monk and crusader through the violence of the Third Crusade and the later crisis of King John’s reign. The early books place Roger among soldiers, pilgrims and rulers in the eastern Mediterranean, while the later novels return him to England…