Top 10 General Crusades History Books

The Crusades are one of the most misunderstood aspects of medieval history, frequently used (and misused) in the propaganda of modern times. The books listed here all examine the actual facts of the Crusades, the background that led up to them, the progress of events, the motivations of political and religious leaders and Crusaders, and the impact the Crusades still make today. With one exception, they all focus on the Crusades in general, and are not limited to a single Crusade.

1. The Crusades: A Short History

by Jonathan Riley-Smith
Riley-Smith is today’s foremost scholar in the field of Crusades history, and this work is a fairly up-to-date, substantive and scholarly introduction to the topic. I find his style accessible, even as he offers numerous facts and statististics, and his presentation is well-balanced and non-judgmental. Virtually all Crusades are covered, including later religious wars. Note: A second edition of this work, which I have yet to read, is now available.

2. A Concise History of the Crusades

by Thomas F. Madden
It’s difficult to cover the numerous wars in less than 200 pages, but Madden manages it quite well. He firmly and clearly sets out the historical background to the conflicts and provides a chronological overview of events. He even discusses the idea that the Crusades were actually a success, albeit a limited one. It’s not a comprehensive resource, nor is it meant to be so, but it is a very good starting-point, and thought-provoking, as well.

3. Fighting for Christendom

by Christopher Tyerman
This succinct, balanced examination stands as an excellent introduction to the topic for the layman. Tyerman is keenly aware of the amount of misinformation that’s out there and does an excellent job of countering it with a clear overview of events, as well as addressing how the facts have been misrepresented in the service of propaganda both modern and medieval.

4. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades

edited by Jonathan Riley-Smith
Extensive, substantial, packed with facts and enhanced with visuals, this is the book to turn to after any of the above three whets your appetite for in-depth Crusades history. Fifteen essays by 12 authors not only offer insight into the origins of the conflicts, the crusading movements, knightly orders and the Latin East, they examine art, architecture and music and look at modern perspectives. A must-have for the hard-core medieval or military history buff.

5. Arab Historians of the Crusades

by Francesco Gabrieli
Every conflict has at least two sides, and to better understand the Crusades, the scholar must examine the wars from varying viewpoints. Arab Historians of the Crusades is an excellent compilation of sources in translation, offering an unvarnished look at events the way Arab chroniclers and historians viewed them. Balanced, absorbing, highly informative, and well worth your time.

6. Cultural Atlas of the Crusades

edited by Jonathan Riley-Smith
As historical atlases go, this is one of the most impressive, filled with high-quality, informative maps of battle sites, travel routes, castles, fortresses and monasteries, pilgrimage sites and much, much more. Unfortunately rather hard to find and on the expensive side, so take advantage of the power of the web and compare prices below.

7. What Were the Crusades?

by Jonathan Riley-Smith
In spite of its friendly title, this is not an introductory work for novices. Rather, it is a scholarly examination of the definition of exactly what a "Crusade" was in theory and fact in the Middle Ages. Several schools of thought are considered, and Riley-Smith offers his own balanced and well-supported viewpoint. An excellent point of departure for in-depth study.

8. The Crusades: The Essential Readings

edited by Thomas Madden
This collection of essays by some of the foremost scholars in Crusades history (including several whose books are in this list) offers the serious student a substantial selection of topics significant to Crusade study, including various ways to define the Crusades, and who went Crusading and why.

9. The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading

by Jonathan Riley-Smith
Although this focuses on the First Crusade, it is included in this list because of its careful consideration of the motivations and ideals bound up in the Crusading ethos, an aspect of all the holy wars. Another fine scholarly book from a fine Crusades scholar.

10. A History of the Crusades

by Sir Steven Runciman
I hesitated including Runciman in this list, because his work is now 50 years out of date, and abundant scholarship has been conducted that supercedes his outdated and biased view. Yet his style is compelling and there is still valuable material to be found here. If you do choose to read Runciman, I strongly recommend you read at least one of the more recent and balanced works above first, so that you may more easily recognize the arguments that are no longer valid.