The religious wars of the crusades are renowned for their military engagements. But the period was witness to brutality beyond the battlefield. More so than any other medieval war zone, the Holy Land was rife with unprecedented levels of criminality and violence.
Steve Tibble explores the criminal underbelly of the crusades. From gangsters and bandits to muggers and pirates, Tibble presents extraordinary evidence of an illicit underworld. He shows how the real problem in the region stemmed not from religion but from young men. Dislocated, disinhibited, and present in disturbingly large numbers, they were the propellant that stoked two centuries of unceasing warfare and shocking levels of criminality.
Crusader Criminals charts the downward spiral of desensitisation that grew out of the horrors of incessant warfare―and in doing so uncovers some of the most surprising stories of the time.
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- Part of the Crime and Punishment course. Book the full course to access all the talks.
- Not included in Gold Membership.
- Recording available to everyone who books until 29 April 2026.
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About the Speaker
Steve Tibble
Dr Steve Tibble is the author of 'The Crusader Strategy' (2020), ‘The Crusader Armies’ (2018), recently published in Italian as 'Gli eserciti delle Crociate' (2020), and ‘Monarchy and Lordships in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1099-1291’ (1989). He has also contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and to the forthcoming Cambridge History of the Crusades.
He is a graduate of Jesus College, Cambridge and completed his PhD on the internal politics of the crusader states at London University. Steve is an Honorary Research Associate at Royal Holloway College, University of London.
29/01/2026
18:30 - 19:30
Online
Talk on Zoom by Steve Tibble author of 'The Crusader Strategy' and 'Crusader Armies’ . Part of the Crime and Punishment course
Location
Online