Books in the Recovering the Past series

Crusading and the Crusader States explores how the idea of holy war emerged from the troubled Church of the 11th century, and why Jerusalem and the Holy Land were so important to Europeans. It follows the progress of the major crusading expeditions, offers insights into their continuing failure, and charts the development of new attitudes towards Islam and its followers.

Covering the world of ancient Rome, David Shotter's history examines the origins of the city and its rise to local power, the apogee of Republican Rome, and the rise and dissolution of the Roman Empire itself.