2007-12-18 magisterial

First off, it is important to note that Runciman's work (now over 50 years old) has by and large been superseded by more recent scholarship - in particular that of Jonathan Riley-Smith. Runciman views the Crusades as the last of the 'Barbarian Invasions' and his work often reads more like a threnody for the declining Byzantine Empire than a self-consciously 'objective' account of events. For a more up-to-date (though drier) general history, you would be better off reading Christopher Tyerman's new 'God's War.'

However, it is still more than possible to read and enjoy 'A History of the Crusades' for what it is - an epic account of three hundred years of history, and an energetic demolition of the view (sadly still prevalent in some circles) that the Crusades were bold and heroic, or somehow 'defensive' in nature. Although some of the analytical material is somewhat dated, the book is eminently readable and exciting, and is in my opinion still the best general introduction to the subject. Enormously influential in its day and still of relevance.