The Military Order of Teutonic Knights was one of the three most famous Crusading Orders; the others being the Templars and the Hospitallers. Like these two, the Teutonic Knights initially focused upon the preservation of the Crusader States in the Middle East. Wielding their swords in the name of their faith, the crusading knights set out to reclaim Jerusalem. Unlike the Templars they survived the crises of identity and purpose which followed the loss of the last Crusader mainland enclaves in the late thirteenth century and, like the Hospitallers, they managed to create a new purpose - and a new field of combat - for themselves. Whereas the Hospitallers focused their energies in the eastern Mediterranean battling against Muslim armies, the Teutonic Knights shifted their efforts to the Baltic, to the so-called Northern Crusades against pagan Prussians and Lithuanians and, to a lesser extent, against Orthodox Christian Russia. As a result the Order of Teutonic Knights became a significant power, not only in the Baltic but in north-central Europe as a whole. Paradoxically, however, it was their fellow Catholic Christian Polish neighbours who became their most dangerous foes, breaking the Order's power in the mid-fifteenth century. The Teutonic Knights lingered on in what are now Estonia and Latvia for another century, but this was little more than a feeble afterglow. This title will examine this fascinating military and religious order in detail, revealing the colourful history of the crusades within Europe itself which inexorably changed the future of the continent.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A good place to start for the Teutonic Knights:
Much of the same information can be found in more lengthier sources, such as Eric Christiansen's excellent The Northern Crusades, but this is a good introduction to the campaigns and history of the Teutonic Knights. As with almost all Osprey titles, the illustrations and color plates are top notch
The Teutonic Knight:
This book by Osprey Publishing presents us with the Teutonic Knight as warrior. We are presented with a brief overview of the chronology of the time, and then offered the organization which supported the Teutonic Knight as well as who he was, what his beliefs were, training, experiences and battles. This book is laid out much as the rest of the Osprey offerings, loaded with quick facts, condensed history, lots of pictures of areas, castles, gear and more. This book is, like all the rest of the books in... more info
Long-awaited Osprey title:
I have been fascinated by the Knights of the Teutonic Order for several years now, but have been frustrated by the relative lack of attention they have received from Osprey. Finally, they have released a title on the Order and, as is often the case with Osprey, the pictures alone make it well worth one's money! The author David Nicolle needs little introduction, having established himself as Osprey's most prolific writer on the Middle Ages. Though his speciality is Islamic and Central Asian warfare, he... more info
