The Second Crusade

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Extending the Frontiers of Christendom

Jonathan Phillips

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The first complete account of Catholic Europe's onslaught on "unbelievers" in the 12th century

The Second Crusade (1145-1149) was an extraordinarily bold attempt to overcome unbelievers on no less than three fronts. Crusader armies set out to defeat Muslims in the Holy Land and in Iberia as well as pagans in northeastern Europe. But, to the shock and dismay of a society raised on the triumphant legacy of the First Crusade, only in Iberia did they achieve any success. This book, the first in 140 years devoted to the Second Crusade, fills a major gap in our understanding of the Crusades and their importance in medieval European history. Historian Jonathan Phillips draws on the latest developments in Crusade studies to cast new light on the origins, planning, and execution of the Second Crusade, some of its more radical intentions, and its unprecedented ambition. With original insights into the legacy of the First Crusade and the roles of Pope Eugenius III and King Conrad III of Germany, Phillips offers the definitive work on this neglected Crusade that, despite its failed objectives, exerted a profound impact across Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.

Jonathan Phillips is Professor of Crusading History, Royal Holloway, University of London. He has published extensively on the subject, including The Crusades, 1095–1197 and The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople. He lives in Berkshire, UK.

“This is an excellent book, which takes full account of both primary sources and the many debates in the secondary literature. No other book offers a modern synthesis of the subject in the light of recent developments in crusading studies.”—Professor Malcolm Barber, University of Reading

"This account of the Second Crusade will be valued by specialists because of its scholarly approach and by undergraduates and general readers because it is written in a clear and accessible style. . . . Phillips provides a brilliant analysis of the European situation in 1145. . . Excellent."—John France, The International History Review

“This well written and illustrated book will make a lasting impact on the study of medieval history.” - International Review of Biblical Studies, Vol. 54:2007/2008

"[The Second Crusade] constitutes an important achievement. It synthesizes a great deal of previous scholarship while bringing new sources and new interpretations to the discussion. It fills a large historiographical gap with erudite precision."—Thomas F. Madden, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies

"Jonathan Phillips does not deny that the [Second Crusade] was a failure, but he offers a highly refined examination of what kind of failure it was. In addition, he provides a detailed account of the crusade from its conception to the final judgments made by contemporaries, using the surviving documentation . . . . [The book] will reward [the reader] who wants to understand why things happened."—Leah Shopkow, Journal of Religion

‘Both erudite and pleasant to read…A remarkable contribution to the history of the Crusades. There is no doubt that it will be considered as a reference study for a very long time to come.’ — Anne-Marie Eddé, Journal of Islamic Studies Vol 21 No 1, January 2010

Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title from 2008.

ISBN: 9780300164756
Publication Date: April 20, 2010

336 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
12 b/w illus.

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