Welcome
The knightly orders of the crusades have taken on a mythical quality in popular culture, used by storytellers as heroes or villains depending on the narrative they're trying to tell. But few really know what their mission statements were. A few months back we delved into the world of the Templars, for instance, and talked about their foothold in the world of banking as well as their battles in the Holy Land. The Teutonic Knights are another pivotal group from this period, who oddly are best understood through their actions in Europe. What drove them and why did they turn their crusade north rather than on the Middle East? These are some of the questions Gregory Leighton will be answering for us in our cover feature. Dr Leighton has written extensively…