Knight Hospitaller (1): 1100-1306 (Warrior) [Paperback]

David Nicolle (Author), Christa Hook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Warrior | Publication Date: July 25, 2001

Unlike their sometime rivals the Templars, the Order of St John of the Hospital of Jerusalem (or the Hospitallers as they are better known) was not created as a result of the First Crusade in 1099: rather, it was probably established by a group of Italian merchants from Amalfi in the mid-11th century. However, as a consequence of the crusading movement, the Hospitallers became recognised experts in the military capabilities of opposing Islamic armies. This book, the first of two to examine the lifestyle, experiences and military role of the Hospitaller knight, covers the period from the foundation of the order to the invasion of Rhodes in 1306.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Knights of Jerusalem: The Crusading Order of Hospitallers 1100-1565 provides a review of one of the more famous Crusading orders of medieval times. It considers the lives and military roles of the Knights Hospitaller in detail from their origins to their many conflicts. Black and white illustrations and color photos and drawings throughout spice a lively survey especially recommended for high school to college-level collections strong in medieval history." -The Bookwatch (October 2008) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

Insights into the real lives of history's fighting men, packed with full colour illustrations, highly detailed cutaways, exploded artwork of weaponry and armour, and action-packed battle scenes.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; First Edition edition (July 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841762148
• ISBN-13: 978-1841762142
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,048,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knights Hospitaller (1) 1100-1306, March 16, 2008

By 

Alexander M. Waite - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knight Hospitaller (1): 1100-1306 (Warrior) (Paperback)

The Knights Hospitaller is one of the Ospery warrior collection and it is a wealth of information on the who, what, where and why of the Knights Hospitaller, the lesser known but equally important order of knights that fought for the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the Cursades. Do not let the comic book look fool you the illustrations are just a minor part of the excellent writing, research information and pictures that the authors put into place for their work. It is a must for anyone who wants the most accurat information on the oldest surviving western military order.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A History of the Hospitallers, July 15, 2009

By 

K. Murphy "Fortune favors the Bold" (The thriving metropolis of Masury, OH) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Knights of Jerusalem: The Crusading Order of Hospitallers 1100-1565 (World of the Warrior) (Hardcover)

This book is a hardcover edition of Osprey's twin warrior titles on the Knights Hospitaller - unfortunately lacking in the color plates. It details the origins, equipment, battle tactics, and daily life of these Knights from their orgins as an order of charitable, hospital-running monks in Jerusalem to their days as a band of pirates harassing the Ottoman Empire throughout the Mediterranean. Overall it makes for informative reading, though it is written by the unsympathetic, Islamophilic David Nicolle.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KNIGHTS OF JERUSALEM: THE CRUSADING ORDER OF HOSPITALLERS, 1100-1565, November 22, 2010

By 

Robert A. Lynn "Militaryhistorywriter" (Orlando, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knights of Jerusalem: The Crusading Order of Hospitallers 1100-1565 (World of the Warrior) (Hardcover)

KNIGHTS OF JERUSALEM: THE CRUSADING ORDER OF HOSPITALLERS, 1100-1565
DAVID NICOLLE
OSPREY PUBLISHERS, 2008
HARDCOVER, 224 PAGES, $25.95, APPENDICES, GLOSSARY, ILLUSTRATIONS


To some they were the "Chosen Knights of Christ"; to others, they were simply "pirates bearing crosses," the Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta, Order of St. John, Knights of Malta, and Chevaliers of Malta; French: Ordre des Hospitaliers) was a Christian organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in Jerusalem in 1018 to provide care for poor, sick, or injured pilgrims to the Holy Land. After the Western Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, it became a religious/military order under its own charter, and was charged with the care and defense of the Holy Land. The Hospitallers evolved into one of the great military forces of the Crusades, fighting the Islamic enemy alongside their brothers and rivals, the Templers. After the fall of the Holy Land, the Order moved to Rhodes and pursued a naval crusade, regarded by the Ottomans and Venetians as simple high-seas pirates. Eventually they wound up on Malta, where they remained for more than 250 years, surviving the famous great siege of 1565, until finally ousted by Napoleon in 1798. When the Knights ceased to be associated with any one place, it gave rise to successors in existence until the present including the Sovereign Order of Malta. The KNIGHTS OF JERUSALEM: THE CRUSADING ORDER OF HOSPITALLERS, 1100-1565 immerses the reader in the lives of these holy warriors, not only giving a history of the order, but delving into their techniques for recruitment and training, and even their battlefield tactics. This book is intended as an introduction to the Order for academics working in other fields, as well as the interested general reader. It also considers the Order's activities away from the frontiers of Christendom: its economic activities and its relations with patrons and rulers throughout Europe, as well as its hospital work and its religious life. It's a fascinating story, and KNIGHTS OF JERUSALEM: THE CRUSADING ORDER OF HOSPITALLERS 1100-1565 wraps it up with a satisfying epilogue: the Hospitallers have survived to this day as a charitable order, having returned to their original mission: caring for the sick.


Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida