The prolific historical novelist turns historian, compressing into one volume his view of how chivalry arose, what it demanded of a knight, and how the military religious orders claimed their members’ property, bodies and very thoughts. Much of the book follows the Crusades, which James treats as chivalry’s great enterprise, correcting what he saw as errors in earlier accounts.
A readable survey from the age of Scott, for anyone curious about knights and Crusaders. Download the free EPUB.