his book explores the causes of the Christian idea of holy war and the nature of the first European colonial settlement in the near east. Explores how the idea of holy war emerged from the troubled Church of the 11th century, and why Jerusalem and the Holy Land were so important to Europeans * Follows the progress of the major crusading expeditions down to 1336, and offers insights into their continuing failure, charting the development of new attitudes towards Islam and the Muslims * Covers the first European settlement in the Near East, looking at the hybrid society created by the Crusades in the East ¿ its art and architecture, legal systems, economy and political institutions Uses the most recent research to provide a broad ranging account of a topic of vital importance for the study of the past and the understanding of the present