"Although the popular image of the Crusades may suggest that they were solely the domain of male clerics and soldiers, there is extensive edidence to prove that this was not the case. While a handful of academic articles have hinted at this issue in the past, [tghis book] is the first substantial exploration of this contemporarily neglected topic. This ... collection provides both innovative readings of well-known texts and examinations of new source materials, and discusses a wide range of subjects, from the medieval construction of gender to the military of women in the Crusades. Other essays consider questions of masculinity, the role of female saints and religious figures in the Crusades, and the relationship of Crusaders to their families. ..."--Back cover.