The Crusader Armies

The Crusader Armies provides a major new history of the Crusades, illuminating the strength and sophistication of both the Western and Muslim armies.

During the Crusades, these armies developed a variety of highly sophisticated strategies for attack and defense, which evolved throughout the course of the battles. In this ambitious work, Steve Tibble draws upon an extensive range of Muslim texts and archaeological evidence, in addition to more commonly cited Western sources, to analyse the strategies, adaptations, evolutions, and cultural diversity of the respective armies. He reveals how sophisticated the Crusader armies were, even by today’s standards.

This is the first comprehensive account of the subject in sixty years. Tibble offers a fresh approach to the study of Templars, Hospitallers, and other key Orders, presenting 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 fills a crucial gap in the study of the West’s attempts to colonise the Middle East during the Middle Ages.