Medieval women did more than bear children, run households, and produce textiles: they shaped the crusades and engaged in cross-cultural encounters. This book illuminates these lives and counters the misconception that women were relegated to the home front (or as camp followers) and that crusading was an exclusively male activity.

This volume highlights the involvement and influence of women from multiple cultures and time periods on various practices associated with crusading, ranging from acting as regents, managing estates, appearing in law courts, ransoming prisoners, defending cities and/or castles, healing the sick and wounded, going on pilgrimage, inciting others to participate in the crusades, and engaging in diplomacy to end them. Short accessible chapters reassess well-known western European figures such as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabel of Castile and Leon, as well as actors on the global stage like Tamar of Georgia and ¿¿leni of Ethiopia, and lesser-known individuals such as Hersend the physician, Rachel of Mainz, Margaret of Beverly, and the female passengers on the Saint-Victor.

Aimed at general readers and students, Twenty-Five Women Who Shaped the World of the Crusades is essential reading for those fascinated by this important but understudied aspect of medieval history.