The Crusades brought together people of all ages and backgrounds, sworn to spread Christianity and wrest the Holy Land from the Infidel. Terry Jones and Alan Ereira here tell the compelling, often horrific story of the fanatics and fantasists, knights and peasants, corrupt clergy and duplicitous leaders who were caught up in these fervent times. They reveal how not only Muslims but Jews and Christians also were massacred; how epidemics, starvation and mutinies weakened even the most devout foot soldiers; and how the Crusades sowed the seeds of jihad, the holy war for Islam, a legacy that endures today.

Charismatic leaders and uncrowned kings, uneasy alliances and bloody assassinations, gruelling sieges and violent battles: all are brought vividly to life. First published to accompany the acclaimed BBC television series, Crusades is a fascinating introduction to an era in which history and legend overlap