Crusade and Christendom Annotated Documents in Translation from Innocent III to the Fall of Acre, 1187-1291

"Dedicated to Powell's memory, this book is more than a fitting memorial, it is a masterpiece. . . . A monumental resource that will deservedly be consulted for decades to come."-Council for European Studies

"This is more than just a new sourcebook. It provides thorough and thoughtful introductions to sources and their contexts, useful bibliographical notes for each topic, an implicit argument about the nature of the Crusades, and as comprehensive a collection of sources on the thirteenth-century Crusades as exists on the market."-The Medieval Review

"The translations are crisp, and a scholarly introduction and up-to-date bibliographical apparatus accompany every entry. In a subject where research interests are rapidly expanding, this stands to be of enormous value."-Journal of Military History

"Far more than a sourcebook, this is an authoritative guide to the crusading movement in the crucial years between the Third Crusade and the fall of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Through its copious and clear translations, this book brings to students the voices of those who experienced the crusades and their effects. Scholars will also benefit from the expert historiographical and topical discussions as well as up-to-date bibliographies. It is a real trove of information for anyone interested in the thirteenth century."-Thomas Madden, St. Louis University

"Crusade and Christendom is a revelation, a source collection that will revolutionize the teaching of the crusades. It accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of capturing the richness and complexity of the crusade movement as it was reinvented by Pope Innocent III and further developed by his successors in the thirteenth century. Many of the documents included here are translated in this volume for the first time, and together they cast light on an astonishing variety of phenomena. From the wars against heresy in southern France to negotiations with Mongol armies on the frontiers of Asia, from highly technical papal bulls to gripping battle narratives, from the ecstatic dreams of the Children's Crusade to the mundane details of buying a ticket to the Holy Land, Crusade and Christendom opens up the legal, military, and imaginative worlds not just of the crusaders but of medieval Europe and the Middle East more broadly. An essential classroom companion."-Jay Rubenstein, University of Tennessee