Dieu le veut!

But surely only His permissive will was involved in the History (sic) Channel's production last weekend on the Crusades. TS seems to have managed to sit through the whole thing. He evidently has a stronger constitution than I. I don't believe I managed a full hour.

The good old Catholic Encyclopædia is approaching its centenary but it still gives a sound background to the crusades in the eponymous article.

More detailed and a very well-balanced history is the Oxford History of the Crusades. Just a few dollars in paperback, sound scholarship and very readable, it is fair to the crusaders and the Mohammedans.