Thecrusademovementneededwomen:theirmoney,theirprayersupport,theiractiveparticipation,andtheirinspiration...Thisbooksurveyswomen’sinvolvementinmedievalcrusadingbetweenthesecondhalfoftheeleventhcentury,whenPopeGregoryVIIfirstproposedapenitentialmilitaryexpeditiontohelptheChristiansoftheEast,and1570,whenthelastcrusaderstate,Cyprus,wascapturedbytheOttomanTurks.Itconsiderswomen’sactionsnotonlyoncrusadebattlefieldsbutalsoinrecruitingcrusaders,supportingcrusadesthroughpatronage,propaganda,andprayer,andasbothdefendersandaggressors.Itarguesthatmedievalwomenweredeeplyinvolvedinthecrusadesbuttherolesthattheycouldplayandhowtheircontemporariesrecordedtheirdeedsweredictatedbysocialconventionandculturalexpectations.AlthoughitsmainfocusisthewomenofLatinChristendom,italsolooksattheimpactofthecrusadesandcrusadersontheJewsofwesternEuropeandtheMuslimsoftheMiddleEast,andcomparesrelationsbetweenLatinChristiansandMuslimswithrelationsbetweenMuslimsandotherChristiangroups.
