By the time the Third Crusade sputtered to a conclusion towards the end of 1191, the job was only half done and Jerusalem was still firmly within the grasp of the Muslims. The Crusaders had managed to seize back the key port city of Acre, but many other cities were still in Islamic hands. The coastal strip that the Christians held between Tyre and Acre, however, was the most agriculturally fertile part of Palestine, and they soon began to flourish.

In the wake of the Third Crusade, questions were being openly asked about the value of ongoing Crusader campaigns. The Third Crusade had, after all, been the largest and most expensive in history, and yet it had failed in its primary purpose of taking Jerusalem.

However, in 1198, Pope Innocent III succeeded to the papacy, and soon became one of the most passionate advocate of the Crusades of any pontiff before or since. He was to make the Crusades the keynote of his 18-year pontificate, and as a result, the disastrous Fourth Crusade was launched.

The Crusades raged across Europe and the Middle East over four centuries, claiming some two million lives.

Many hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life took part in the Crusades, attracted by the Pope's offer of forgiveness for their sins in return for their efforts to conquer the Holy City, as well as a sense of adventure and a true desire to set foot in Jerusalem.

However, several of the Crusades failed to acheive their stated goals, with the Crusaders often pillaged the cities and countries through which they traveled, and their leaders taking advantage of the situation to seize land and riches. The Crusades were also, however, a breeding ground for chivalry and heroism, with great warrior leaders such as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin emerging during the battles.

The 'Crusades' series is a ten-part account of the Holy Wars that raged throughout the Medieval period. Each book gives a clear and concise account of the people and events that shaped the period, providing the reader with an entertaining and engaging narrative covering one of the most turbulent periods in world history.