Nine centuries after enthusiasm for pope Urban's expedition to Jerusalem swept western Europe the phenomenon of the first crusade continues to fascinate. This pamphlet examines the nature of the crusades and the motives of those who joined it, describes the hardships of the long journey to the Holy Land and attempts to explain how the crusades succeeded, against all the odds, in capturing Jerusalem. The author draws on a comprehensive knowledge of the twelfth century evidence and wide reading of recent scholarship to provide an accessible narrative and an authoritative analysis of the first crusade...