The ancient warrior code which persisted in medieval Christian Europe dictated that a man's greatest virtues were physical strength, skill at arms, bravery, daring, loyalty to the chieftain and solidarity within the tribe. The primitive Church had been diametrically opposed to such ideals, however by the early 8th century the Church had grown wealthy, and the Saracen invasions of Spain and France posed a threat to that wealth. The Roman Church began to support war in defence of the faith, and by channelling the martial spirit into the service of God, the brutal warrior of the past was transformed into a guardian of society.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
BIg subject for a little book:
As with certain other Osprey titles, this is a little book covering a broad topic, the Templars, Hospitallers, Teutonic Knights, and their lesser allies and fellow knightly orders. Makes for interesting reading, however, and provides good background on the Teutonic Order in particular. Plates are decent.
Exceptional.:
For me Terence Wise is the equal to David Nicolle as the best authors for the Osprey series. They focus on the crucial history parts of the text, & less about Regalia. This was a delight to read, a subject that like their Muslim counterparts get little attention in the Politically Correct halls of American academia. I was somewhat familiar with the Templars, Hospitallers, & Teutonic Knights. I found the second half of the text more engrossing, because we learned very little about these folks in... more info
Crusader orders in summary:
One of the various titles from the addictive Osprey military-history books!
This lavishly illustrated book is an ideal first guide to those researching the major Crusading Orders of Knighthood: the Hospitalers, the Templars, and the Teutonic Knights.
Within you will find an overview of the major campaigns and spheres of influence of the Crusaders, their military and commercial goals, and how these changed over time. For example, with the eventual loss of the Holy Land, the Hospitallers placed... more info
A good general history of the military orders of monks.:
Please ignore the usual Amazon anti-catholic smear in the editorial review that attempts to insinuate that the church created these orders of military monks to protect its wealth.
The truth is that the church did not create these orders. For example, the Teutonic Knights were created by German merchants in the Holy Land as a hospital for German crusaders.
Anyway, this volume is a good read for both the casual historian and the serious scholar. While it is by no means exhaustive, it is a good place to... more info
