James M. Powell

In addition to sections devoted to Latin paleography, diplomatics, computer-assisted research, numismatics, archaeology, problems in chronology, and prospography, this text describes state-of-the-art research methodology and critical approaches to English literature, Latin philosophies, law, science, art and music.

An Introduction, Second Edition

Medieval Studies

James M. Powell here offers a new interpretation of the Fifth Crusade's historical and social impact, and a richly rewarding view of life in the thirteenth century. Powell addresses such questions as the degree of popular interest in the crusades, the religious climate of the period, the social structure of the membership of the crusade, and the effects of the recruitment effort on the outcome.

Anatomy of a Crusade, 1213-1221

This collection of studies by James M. Powell focuses on two related centers of attention. The first is the crusade campaigns undertaken by western Europeans in the eastern Mediterranean during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the reasons for them, and the manner in which they were organized and promoted. The second is the society, economy and Muslim population of the Kingdom of Sicily under Frederick II, himself a crusader.

The Crusades, the Kingdom of Sicily, and the Mediterranean

An award-winning anatomy of the Fifth Crusade.

September 22, 1991, promised to be another hot Sunday for Montana State Prison swampers Robert Powell and Chuck McFarlane, two prisoners serving time in the protective custody (PC) section of the prison. The morning heat, however, did not prepare them enough for the harrowing events about to unfold in the next hours of their turbulent lives. In the time that the swampers and the officers were going about their routines, the other prisoners in the maximum security section were finalizing their plans¿hatched sometime before¿to stage a riot that would set all hell to break loose inside the confined structure. Smelling of the blood of the PC inmates, the maximum security prisoners exploded with a round of murder and pillage. The day¿s dark deeds would not only compromise the lives of fellow inmates and prison officers, these would also set the tone of how all the lives of those involved will go on from that point.

Hot, Sunny, Bloody Sunday

Edward Peters

Jessalynn Bird

In 1213, Pope Innocent III issued his letter Vineam Domini, thundering against the enemies of Christendom—the "beasts of many kinds that are attempting to destroy the vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth"—and announcing a General Council of the Latin Church as redress. The Fourth Lateran Council, which convened in 1215, was unprecedented in its scope and impact, and it called for the Fifth Crusade as what its participants hoped would be the final defense of Christendom. For the first time, a collection of extensively annotated and translated documents illustrates the transformation of the crusade movement. Crusade and Christendom explores the way in which the crusade was used to define and extend the intellectual, religious, and political boundaries of Latin Christendom. It also illustrates how the very concept of the crusade was shaped by the urge to define and reform communities of practice and belief within Latin Christendom and by Latin Christendom's relationship with other communities, including dissenting political powers and heretical groups, the Moors in Spain, the Mongols, and eastern Christians. The relationship of the crusade to reform and missionary movements is also explored, as is its impact on individual lives and devotion. The selection of documents and bibliography incorporates and brings to life recent developments in crusade scholarship concerning military logistics and travel in the medieval period, popular and elite participation, the role of women, liturgy and preaching, and the impact of the crusade on western society and its relationship with other cultures and religions. Intended for the undergraduate yet also invaluable for teachers and scholars, this book illustrates how the crusades became crucial for defining and promoting the very concept and boundaries of Latin Christendom. It provides translations of and commentaries on key original sources and up-to-date bibliographic materials.

Annotated Documents in Translation from Innocent III to the Fall of Acre, 1187-1291

Crusade and Christendom

A Brief Interpretation

The Civilization of the West

The Deeds of Pope Innocent III, composed before 1210 by an anonymous member of the papal curia, provides a unique window into the activities, policies, and strategies of the papacy and the curia during one of the most important periods in the history of the medieval church.

James M. Powell

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