The Order of St John of the Hospital of Jerusalem (or the Hospitallers as they are better known) has existed for almost a thousand years. It was established in Jerusalem in the mid-11th century to care for Christian pilgrims and its role initially was entirely non-combatant. But, as the wars of the crusades progressed, the Order took on a military role, at first simply protecting the pilgrims and then expressed as "defending the Holy Sepulchre to the last drop of blood and fighting the infidel wherever one can find them". The military arm of the Order quickly emerged as one of the most effective fighting forces of the era and was given responsibility for the construction and defense of several of the major fortresses of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, exercising considerable political and strategic influence. When Jerusalem and Acre fell at the end of the 13th century the Hospitallers moved to Cyprus and then established a new base in Rhodes, having taken the island by force. After two centuries there protecting Christian shipping and other interests in the region they were driven out by the Ottoman Turks and continued as a bastion of Christendom in Malta. In 1565 the Order achieved its greatest military success, beating off the massive forces of Suleiman the Magnificent in the Great Siege. They continued to be a force in the Mediterranean but finally capitulated tamely to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 and a much changed world. However, the Order of St John carry on their Christian work to this day with Priories all over the world, including North America, with support of the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem a key piece of their mission. Dr Nicolle illuminates the world of the warrior Knight Hospitaller, both his training, skill at arms and campaign experience, and his beliefs and daily life at home, through centuries of religious and territorial conflict. Numerous color and black & white images support an absorbing narrative of adventure, courage and service.
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A review of one of the more famous Crusading orders of medieval times:
KNIGHTS OF JERUSALEM: THE CRUSADING ORDER OF HOSPITALLERS 1100-1565 provides a review of one of the more famous Crusading orders of medieval times. It considers the lives and military roles of the Knights Hospitaller in detail from their origins to their many conflicts. Black and white illustrations and color photos and drawings throughout spice a lively survey especially recommended for high school to college-level collections strong in medieval history.
Knights Hospitaller (1) 1100-1306:
The Knights Hospitaller is one of the Ospery warrior collection and it is a wealth of information on the who, what, where and why of the Knights Hospitaller, the lesser known but equally important order of knights that fought for the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the Cursades. Do not let the comic book look fool you the illustrations are just a minor part of the excellent writing, research information and pictures that the authors put into place for their work. It is a must for anyone who wants the most... more info
Dude with too much time:
A great buy for people trying to understand the fighting order of the Hospitaller. It details the castles they possessed during the crusades and their battles against the islamic knigdoms. The book itself starts with the foundation of the order in 1080 and then goes on to explain their tactics and strategies in holding on to their claims in Jerusalem. In the begining of the book is a detailed layout of the timeline of the order and like all other osprey books it contains 10 well drawn and fully colored... more info
