Description: The studies in this volume demonstrate the broad interdisciplinary spectrum of modern crusade studies, extending far beyond the battlefield into the conflict and occasional cooperation between the diverse cultures and faiths of the Mediterranean. Although the crusades were a product of medieval Europe, they provide a backdrop against which medieval worlds can be observed to come into both contact and collision. The subjects dealt with include Muslim and Christian understandings of their wars within their own intellectual and artistic perspectives, as well as the development of memory and definition of crusading in both the East and West. A section on the Crusades and the Byzantine world examines the intersection of western and eastern Christian attitudes and agendas and the book concludes with three studies on the crusader King, Louis IX, examining both his crusades and their role in his later sanctification.
Review Quotes: 'This collection of papers [...] outline[s] a vibrant area of study being approached from fresh angles.' The Historian '... contributions offer valuable new evidence and the volume succeeds admirably and consistently as a stimulating and rewarding read ... Ashgate have strengthened its reputation as a foremost publisher of crusading scholarship.' French History 'Around half the essays presenting will have a direct impact on our understanding of relations between Christians and Muslims during the crusading period, c.1097-c.1291, and the standard of scholarship in these works is indeed high. The volume overall will be of use primarily to academics and postgraduate students, as the articles are fairly heavy in academic terms (although stylistically they are very accessible)...' Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations