The crusades, a colorful, fantastic movement which lasted some 300 years, began in France in the eleventh century.  Inspired by the words of Pope Urban, a crowd of a thousand who heard him speak spread the word until it reached all of Europe.  "God wills it!" was the battle cry.  Hundreds of thousands joined the crusades to restore the Holy Land to the Christian world.

Walter Buehr's account of the crusades evokes all the majesty and splendor of barons and knights setting out on an inspired adventure.  It brings to life again their leaders, their battles, their triumphs, and their defeats.  It pictures also the famine, the brutality, and the wild confusion which accompanied the crusaders as they swept toward the Holy Land. Today, much of this seems fantastic to us—particularly the Children's Crusade, joined by thousands of children who perished on the way or who were sold into bondage when they reached their destination.

What were the forces which motivated the crusaders to leave their homes and fight against the infidels? How were the battles fought; what weapons and tactics were used? What did the Europeans find in the East—and when it was all over, what did the crusades accomplish for the world? These questions are answered here with clarity and great meaning by the author and artist who gave us Knights and Castles and Feudal Life.

From the dust jacket