Constable (medieval studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton) is one of the preeminent medievalists working today. He was one of the first historians to look at the Crusades from the point of view of those left behind in Europe, thereby leading to a new way of seeing the crusading period as part of society as a whole rather than as a political, religious or military event. Scholars will be delighted that these essays, written from 1951 to the present, are now in one volume. All previously published articles have been revised and brought up to date and there are five new ones, never before in print. Constable begins with a historiographical essay that emphasizes the emotional nature of Crusade studies. The attitude toward them has until very recently reflected the religious and political opinions of the author rather than the events themselves and the society of the Middle Ages. Constable adds that "popular" histories and fiction are far behind academic discoveries. The essays included here demonstrate the validity of this. They vary from specifics, such as the multifold sources for symbol of the cross that became associated with crusaders, the use of European charters for crusade history, the life of a single crusader, how the crusades were financed and how the crusades fit into medieval society. He points out that this was not a unified movement but a series of expeditions lasting at least four hundred years. Therefore, Constable also looks at the crusades in the Iberian Peninsula, the Northern crusades and the taking of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. His seminal study of contemporary attitudes toward the Second Crusade has been expanded and refined. This book should be in every university library. It is an excellent introduction to the historiography of the topic as well as an example of thorough, objective scholarship. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
