Based on the latest scholarship by experts in the field, this work provides an accessible guide to the Crusades fought for the liberation and defense of the Holy Land―one of the most enduring and consequential conflicts of the medieval world.• Presents concise, accessible articles written by more than 40 leading experts in the field that explain key concepts and describe important institutions of the Crusades• Covers all main Crusades as well as the distinct countries and various personalities involved• Includes maps that make clear the course of Crusades and main areas of campaigning in the Eastern Mediterranean region• Documents the Christian principalities established in the course of the Crusades and the Muslim states that opposed them