{"product_id":"the-black-cross-aleksander-pluskowski-9780300279061","title":"The Black Cross: A History of the Baltic Crusades","description":"\u003cb\u003eA wide-ranging new history of the Baltic Crusades and their legacy\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, crusading armies unleashed a relentless holy war against the last pagan societies in northern Europe, particularly in the Baltic Sea region. Led by Catholic rulers, churchmen, and, most importantly of all, the warrior monks of the Teutonic Order, they sought to expand Christendom through conquest and conversion. In the process they forged a new world with a profound legacy that resonates into the present. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Aleksander Pluskowski traces the broader story of the Baltic Crusades. Pluskowski explores how the construction of castles and towns, and the introduction of new languages, technology, monetary economies, and religion transformed the conquered societies. Moving through the years, we see how the history of the crusades was reinvented in the twentieth century to serve nationalist aims, including those of the Third Reich. This is a fascinating study that provides a fresh look at the impact of centuries of religious warfare across northern Europe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Aleksander Pluskowski\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 030027906X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780300279061\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Yale University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/27\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 480\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Aleksander Pluskowski","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47244419006719,"sku":"9780300279061","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_c1dc82e8-a52c-447d-bfb3-a95ce261ba8c.jpg?v=1758135697","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-black-cross-aleksander-pluskowski-9780300279061","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}