Author: Tibble, Steve
Israel
Published on 28 July 2026 by YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS in the United States.
Paperback | 384 pages, 18 b-w illus. + 8 maps
197 x 130 x 26 | 310g
œEngagingly written.�”Andrew D Buck, BBC History Magazine œ[A] compelling book.�”Ian Garrick-Mason, Spectator Shortlisted for the 2020 Duke of Wellington Medal for Military HistoryA new look at the crusaders, which shows how they pursued long-term plans and clear strategic goals Medieval states, and particularly crusader societies, often have been considered brutish and culturally isolated. It seems unlikely that they could develop œstrategy� in any meaningful sense. However, the crusaders were actually highly organized in their thinking and their decision making was rarely random.
In this lively account, Steve Tibble draws on a rich array of primary sources to reassess events on the ground and patterns of behavior over time. He shows how, from aggressive castle building to implementing a series of invasions of Egypt, crusader leaders tenaciously pursued long-term plans and devoted single-minded attention to clear strategic goals. Crusader states were permanently on the brink of destruction; resources were scarce and the penalties for failure severe. Intuitive strategic thinking, Tibble argues, was a necessity, not a luxury.