A major new history of the Crusades that illuminates the strength and sophistication of the Western and Muslim armies

During the Crusades, the Western and Muslim armies developed various highly sophisticated strategies of both attack and defence, which evolved during the course of the battles. In this ambitious new work, Steve Tibble draws on a wide range of Muslim texts and archaeological evidence, as well as more commonly cited Western sources, to analyse the respective armies strategy, adaptation, evolution, and cultural diversity. He shows just how sophisticated the Crusader armies were, even by todays standards.

In the first comprehensive account of the subject in sixty years, Tibble takes a fresh approach to Templars, Hospitallers, and other key Orders, making the controversial proposition that the Crusades were driven as much by sedentary versus nomadic tribal concerns as by religious conflict. This fluently written, broad-ranging narrative provides a crucial missing piece in the study of the Wests attempts to colonise the Middle East during the Middle Ages.