The First Crusade received its name and shape late. To its contemporaries, the event was a journey and the men who took part in it pilgrims. Only later were those participants dubbed Crusaders "those signed with the Cross." In fact, many developments with regard to the First Crusade, like the bestowing of the cross and the elaboration of Crusaders' privileges, did not occur until the late twelfth century, almost one hundred years after the event itself.In a greatly expanded second edition, Edward Peters brings together the primary texts that document eleventh-century reform ecclesiology, the appearance of new social groups and their attitudes, the institutional and literary evidence dealing with Holy War and pilgrimage, and, most important, the firsthand experiences by men who participated in the events of 1095-1099.Peters supplements his previous work by including a considerable number of texts not available at the time of the original publication. The new material, which constitutes nearly one-third of the book, consists chiefly of materials from non-Christian sources, especially translations of documents written in Hebrew and Arabic. In addition, Peters has extensively revised and expanded the Introduction to address the most important issues of recent scholarship."
Peters has put together a nice compilation of primary material regarding the First Crusade. Snippets are arranged by event, so comparing multiple accounts of the same event is no more difficult than turning the page. Fulcher's text dominates the work, and this edition seems to be the primary choice amongst scholars who cite him. The great achievement of this book is it's price and accessibility. Certain periods of history have texts that are notoriously difficult to acquire cheaply, and having so many together in one cheap little book is very useful. The translations are crisp and clear. Including a number of letters towards the end of the book is also very nice, and provides insight into the minds of the crusaders. Additionally, the introduction is very good. The only reason that this book gets 4 stars is its lack of maps. Students unfamiliar with the region are given no guidance in this area. Would it have really been so hard for the publisher to insert a basic map of the various routes east, listing important places like Ascalon and Dorylaion that aren't on many non-crusade specific maps? There is no reason for any serious student of the crusades to not own this work. It is very cheap and accessible, and there is a great deal of content inside.
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