The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading

Riley Smith focuses on the title of his book, that is what he wants to present and does. It is not a light read, but anyway it is very clear and dinamic; the author presents facts in an interesting and condensed way, and he does take time (we apreciate that!)to explain the sources he has used in his investigation.

This is a brilliant book by a leading historian of the crusades. It needs to be understood on its own terms: it's a detailed analysis of *why* so many Europeans set off on the 1st Crusade. Riley-Smith has produced a closely-argued analysis that places the crusade within the context of the world of eleventh-century Europe that created it. This isn't the place to go if you want accounts of the battles of the crusade, and it isn't a "light" read. But it's extremely valuable---I've assigned it several times to my classes.