A history of the Crusades, volume II : the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100-1187

Blurb

A History of the Crusades, an insightful and broad history of the Crusades is arguably the best known and most widely acclaimed work of historian Steven Runciman.
A cursory glance at the body of Runciman’s work would lead many to believe that his passion for history lay in the Byzantine Empire. Although Byzantium was his speciality, Runciman’s interests spanned a much broader range of topics. Medieval Bulgaria, Sicily, Armenia, the medieval Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches were all subjects he delved into during his long career.
A 3-volume work published in 1951-4, it has seen numerous reprints and translations. For years it has been the standard by which other Crusade histories have been measured. It combines Runciman’s unique style of narration with his broad view. Encompassing the ascendancy of Islam in the Levant during the early Seventh century through the fall of the Kingdom of Acre in 1291, it offers a foundation for understanding the entire Crusades. Runciman’s method of piecing the many narratives together is simple but succinct, utilizing foreshadowing, suspense, and intrigue to build an absorbing account of the Crusades that borders on the epic or romantic.