Description: This collection of medieval primary sources provides a comprehensive view of the Crusades from multiple perspectives.
Review Quotes: "The collection of translated sources in The Crusades: A Reader is one of the most comprehensive yet assembled. It covers the centuries from the late eleventh to the early sixteenth and includes texts illustrating actions in theatres of war that are often ignored, such as Spain, the Baltic region, and the interior of western Europe. It is to be recommended as a very congenial and informative introduction to a large, complex, and historically important subject."--Jonathan Riley-Smith, University of Cambridge
"This is a stellar collection, and there is nothing to equal it on the market. By bringing together primary sources written by various Christian, Muslim, and Jewish authors, this anthology elegantly conveys the diversity of experiences of the Crusades: those of its participants and those of its victims. The questions for discussion that the authors provide are tailor-made for each source and make teaching this complicated subject all the easier. This new edition is especially strong in its coverage of modern perceptions of the Crusades. The editors are to be congratulated."--Paul M. Cobb, University of Pennsylvania
"This rich, impressively comprehensive yet acute selection of texts allows student and scholar alike to explore the complexities of the subject by providing focused insights into the widest range of perspectives on crusading across a millennium and a half from its ideological origins to its cultural, material, and political contexts, from the actions and thoughts of its supporters, opponents, and victims to its toxic afterlife in the modern world. A fine achievement."--Christopher Tyerman, University of Oxford
"Allen and Amt's reader on the Crusades has always been an excellent resource for students, scholars, and laypersons seeking to gain insight into the experiences of the people who lived through the period. This third edition not only revises and updates the documents provided, but also includes a welcome and valuable expansion of the range of sources provided and social groups represented. Highly recommended!"--Niall Christie, Langara College