Historical dictionary of the crusades

"Historical Dictionary of the Crusades covers the major conflicts between Muslims and Christians in the Mediterranean from the late eleventh through the early fourteenth centuries. During this time, at least seven major expeditions were made between Western Europe and the Holy Land, with the goal of ending Muslim control of Jerusalem. Ultimately, the crusaders were driven out, but not before a cultural exchange had taken place that had an immense impact on Western Europe and an equally enormous, albeit less positive, impact on Arabs and the Islamic world." "This dictionary therefore provides an accessible reference work for scholars, students, and general readers on the period with numerous entries on key persons, places, events, battles and sieges, use of weapons and armor, and the deeper issues of the political and cultural background. Complete with maps, a detailed chronology, and an extensive bibliography, this work allows readers to learn how Europe was changed forever by these battles with Islam."--Jacket.