This major new book surveys the gripping history of the knights and their order and relates their rise to power; their struggles against Prussian pagans; the series of wars against Poland and Lithuania; the clash with Alexander Nevsky's Russia; and the gradual stagnation of the order in the fourteenth century. The book is replete with dramatic episodes--such as the battle on frozen Lake Peipus in 1242, or the disaster of Tannenberg--but focuses primarily on the year-after-year struggle to maintain power, fend off incursions and raiding bands, and launch crusades against unbelieving foes. A major new history of this military order that defines the lives, deeds and actions of medieval German crusaders—covers 500 years of European history.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This penetrating study, one of the first of its kind in English, surveys the order’s rise to power, assumption of military pre-eminence, and eventual fall."
– Warfare
"Urban brings an epic quality to the lives of the German crusaders, the hard men of Europe, whose military campaigns could rival those of the Templars."
– Oxford Times
– Warfare
"Urban brings an epic quality to the lives of the German crusaders, the hard men of Europe, whose military campaigns could rival those of the Templars."
– Oxford Times
"This clever and capable author writes a brilliant overview of 500 years of its political and military history . . . The Teutonic Knights is a terrific book . . . Well-written, concise, and fast moving, you'll appreciate Urban’s efforts to highlight crusader action on the fringes of Christendom."
– Magweb (USA)
"This narrative history of the Teutonic Order . . . fills an important gap in English writing on crusading history. Urban is a distinguished historian of the Christianization of the Baltic in the period between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, and gives us a general history of the order and of the great process conversion in which it played such a major role . . . Enlivened by Urban’s occasional acerbic remarks, as exemplified in his bibliography: “Some well-known works have been omitted because their only worth is for propaganda in disputes now long forgotten or for providing the author's income."
– History: The Journal of the Historical Association
– Magweb (USA)
"This narrative history of the Teutonic Order . . . fills an important gap in English writing on crusading history. Urban is a distinguished historian of the Christianization of the Baltic in the period between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, and gives us a general history of the order and of the great process conversion in which it played such a major role . . . Enlivened by Urban’s occasional acerbic remarks, as exemplified in his bibliography: “Some well-known works have been omitted because their only worth is for propaganda in disputes now long forgotten or for providing the author's income."
– History: The Journal of the Historical Association
Midwest Book Review
"The Teutonic Knights: A Military History is the true story of the Christian order of Teutonic Knights of central Europe during the medieval era. Covering roughly the 1200's through the 1500's, including the order's rise and fall, The Teutonic Knights examines both the order's strengths and its inequities, which have been to some degree exaggerated by propagandist, nationalists, secularists, and Protestants. A handful of black-and-white photographic plates illustrate this meticulously documented historical text, embellished with a bibliography and index. The Teutonic Knights brings the era and daily life alive, as surely as it illuminates power struggles between factions, Christian orders, noblemen, and nations, and is a superb contribution to medieval and military history shelves."
Journal of Military History, October 2006
“The Teutonic Knights played an exceptionally important role in the history of the crusading movement and in the political, economic, and cultural development of northeastern Europe. Nevertheless, they have received very little attention in Anglophone scholarship, especially when compared to the Templars and Hospitallers, the contemporaries and rivals of the German Order. William Urban, who has published widely on the Baltic crusades over the past four decades, has essayed to redress this imbalance in the literature with a military history of the Teutonic Knights from their foundation in the late twelfth century until the dissolution of their independent state in the sixteenth. Urban’s thorough knowledge of the relevant source materials as well as his familiarity with the scholarship that has been published in a wide range of modern languages, make him uniquely qualified to take on this task.”
About the Author
William Urban is the Lee L. Morgan professor of history at Monmouth College, Illinois. He specializes in medieval Baltic history and is the author of numerous works in this field, including "Tannenberg and After" (0929700252), "The Prussian Crusade" (0929700287), and "The Baltic Crusade" (0929700104).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A clue from the past.,
This review is from: The Teutonic Knights: A Military History (Hardcover)
As a Latvian, the German Knights figured prominently in the history of the Latvian tribes. But, until I read this book, I had no clear understanding of the "German Knights" or the "Baltic Crusades."Since this book is a military history of the Teutonic Knights, the author poses this in the Introduction. "Why a book on the military history of the Teutonic Knights? Why not earlier?...One answer is the best historians of the crusades have traditionally concentrated their attentions on the Holy Land; most medieval historians in recent decades have lacked much interest in military affairs; and amateur historians in the English-speaking world are not prepared to handle the many languages involved in studying Baltic and East Central European history....Another good answer, perhaps more fundamental, is that the English-speaking public was generally unaware that there had been crusades in the Baltic, and, moreover, for many years also lost interest in the medieval efforts to recover Jerusalem. No demand, hence no response by authors and publishers." page xi I knew very little of the Teutonic Knights and the Swordbrothers. I knew, from my Latvian history Saturday school studies, that my ancestor Lett tribes/clans were Christianized by the sword. Because the Letts fought amongst themselves and did not seek unity, that is why they were absorbed in contrast to their fellow Balts, the Lithuanians. Before I read this book, I never really realized that the Pope had blessed a crusade against the heathen Balts. So, what happens with all of this activity? I was always under the impression that only German knights took part. That was not the case. Knights from Ireland, Scotland, England, Denmark and other places participated in converting the heathen. Why did military campaigns take place in winter? In Lithuania, there were swamps and rivers. Knights and their horses could not navigate the Lithuanian area. When the water and ground was frozen, then the Knights moved out of Prussia into Lithuanian territory. How did the Lithuanians resist the Order? Well, their leaders would "convert" to Christianity, in times of danger. Then when the danger passed, it was back to the pagan ways. When danger appeared again, it was time to be Christian. This went back and forth until the Lithuanians, once and foreall became Christians. Since Lithuanian nobility aligned itself with Poland, that is how Lithuania became one united body. Lithuania used its ties with Poland to counteract the push of the Order. The Knights brought Christianity to the last Balt tribe/people, the Prussians. As a result of this and that the order was based in Prussia lead to the germanization of the Prussians. Old Prussian became a dead Baltic language. The book is organized thus: 1 The Military Orders; 2 The Foundation of the Teutonic Order; 3 War in the Holy Land; 4 The Transylvanian Experiment; 5 The War against Paganism in Prussia; 6 The Crusade in Livonia; 7 Territorial Rivalries with Poland; 8 The Lithuanian Challenge; 9 The Conversion of Lithuania; 10 The Battle of Tannenberg; 11 The Long Decline and the End in the Baltic; 12 The End in Livonia; 13 Summary; Appendix A Major Figures in the History of the Teutonic Order; Appendix B The Grand Masters to 1525. I would recommend this book, especially those readers, who have ancestors from Prussia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia. This book gives light to the Crusades that "did" not take place in the Holy Land. I look forward to reading the author's next work.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reevaluation of traditional "bad guys",
By isala "Isabel and Lars" (London, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Teutonic Knights: A Military History (Hardcover)
This book does a good job of explaning the Teutonic Order to a modern audience, very much needed. The author, a professional historian, has set out to write a fairer history of the Teutonic Knights. They are best known for their defeats, Lake Peipus and Tannenberg, were their adversaries have been cast as the "good guys". Here he proves that history is so much more complex. He follows their history from the foundation of the order until they become secular landwoners in the fifteenth century. The order did not exist in a political vacuum: northern Europe was a hotbed of intrigue where the knights were just one part. The author carefully explains the complex politics surrounding the unification of Poland and the christianization of Prussia and Lithauinia. We also find out that there were hardly any teutonic knights present at the famed battle of Lake Peipus, and that the defeat at Tannenberg was not the death knell of the order: it was the political infighting in the order afterwards! The order was not worse than any other of their contemporaries, oftentimes they were even more humane and civilized. As with all medieaval histories, we lack details. Something the reader just will have too live with. I have some complaints: The maps seem to exist without any connection to the text, and then, the narrative just stops. The author just explains that there exists no research on the order's later activities in the Balkans. The order still exists (there were involved in the opposition against Hitler), but that is not mentioned. This should be remedied in future editions.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dispels the Myth's,
By
This review is from: The Teutonic Knights: A Military History (Hardcover)
This author writes a scholarly and comprehensive history of the Teutonic knights. This book is packed with fact and helps destroy the myths around the undeserved reputation that the knights had acquired. The book is not an easy read; don't expect to finish this quick. I rated this book 4 stars because of its scholarly contributions, had it flowed a little easier I would have rated it a 5
Terry Tucker, Professor Military History, US Army, Ret, Richland, TX
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