By the author of The Story of the Roman People, bestselling historical essay from Asia. The best introduction for the Crusades with the 99 beautiful plates by Gustave Doré.

A Notes from Author
…One might be able to picture the entire history of the Crusades by reading this visual guide, but that does not mean one has fully grasped that history. The Crusades were a violent clash between two major world religions. Besides, this is not a high school history textbook. Understanding the positive and negative effects the Crusades had on later generations demands that we examine the conflict’s origins, its historical development, and its conclusion in great detail.
Thus, in imitation of the Italian opera, I conceived of the relationship between this visual guide and the three volumes that follow as similar to an overture followed by a first, second, and third act. In other words, the overture is performed in front of the curtain before it has been lifted; when the overture concludes, the curtain rises and the first act begins…Well then, please enjoy this “overture!”