The dwindling army of the Second Crusade arrives in Antioch, where a quarrel over military strategy is influenced by rumours of a sex scandal involving the Queen of France. The Crusaders make some very bad decisions, leading to a failed attack and a humiliating retreat. Find out why the Second Crusade was such a dismal…
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The Second Crusade leaves Europe under the command of two kings, fielding the largest number of men in a generation. Eleanor of Aquitaine rides with her husband, King Louis VII of France, while Conrad Hohenstaufen leads forces from the Holy Roman Empire. What follows is not glorious victory, but embarrassment and disaster on an epic…
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The Crusaders have taken Jerusalem but they face one final battle. When the men start to head home, the legend of the First Crusade is born, and a massive new wave of Crusaders heads east. Not everyone wants to go home however; Godfrey of Bouillon becomes ruler of Jerusalem. His brother Baldwin manages to take…
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The Crusaders narrowly escape annihilation when they attempt to fight their way out of Antioch. Some men credit the miracle of the Holy Lance for their amazing escape. Divisions emerge amongst the nobles, while the army starves. Some Crusaders turn to cannibalism, and a fiery trial by ordeal ends the career of a peasant preacher. …
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As Western knights and nobles ride toward Jerusalem, there are many other cities they must take along the way. Their first battlefield encounter with the Turks leaves a lasting impression on both sides, but they are soon occupied with besieging fortified cities. Heads are brandished on spears and bodies hang on display from the ramparts….
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