Of all the castles constructed by Western Europeans during the Middle Ages, none have caught the public imagination so much as Crusader castles. These structures, ranging from the very simple to the huge and elaborate, also encompass almost all aspects of Western European military architecture during the golden age of castle building from the 12th to the 13th centuries. This first volume in a series of three will focus on 12th century castles in the regions now known as Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and south-eastern Turkey. Later volumes will focus on 13th century castles in Greece, Cyprus and the Aegean.

Author Biography

David Nicolle, the son of the illustrator Pat Nicolle, has an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and a doctorate from Edinburgh University. David has taught world and Islamic art and architectural history at Yarmuk University, Jordan and written many books and articles on medieval and Islamic warfare. He has written several Osprey titles and currently lives and works in Leicestershire, UK. Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specialises in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on the Aztecs, the Greeks, the American Civil War and the American Revolution. His work features in exhibitions and publications throughout the world.