The study of the crusades is one of the most thriving areas of medieval history. This collection of seventeen essays by leading researchers in the field reflects the best of contemporary scholarship. The subjects handled are remarkably wide-ranging, focusing on the theory and practice of crusading and the contributions which were made by the military orders. Chronologically, the essays range from the church's approach towards warfare in the pre-crusade era, to the way in which the First Crusade has been depicted in post-war fiction. Together with its companion volume, The Experience of Crusading: Volume 2. Defining the Crusader Kingdom, edited by Peter Edbury and Jonathan Phillips, this collection has been published to celebrate the 65th birthday of Jonathan Riley-Smith, the leading British historian of the crusades. The volume includes an appreciation of his work on the crusades and on the military orders.

'This is certainly a Festschrift to be welcomed …' Alan Borg, Church Times
'It is a splendid collection for interested readers and undergraduates as well as a barometer to the state of research and opinion within historians … [it gives] us an up-to-date understanding of many, if not all, the aspects that make up the Crusading world.' Contemporary Review
'… there is something for everyone here …' Church Times
'It is a splendid collection for interested readers and undergraduates as well as a barometer to the state of research and opinion within historians … Anyone wishing a general introduction to this fascinating period and one which is told with erudition and understanding should look no further.' Contemporary Review

Marcus Bull is Senior Lecturer in History, University of Bristol. Norman Housley is Professor of History, University of Leicester.