John of Brienne's progress, from mid-ranking knightly status to king of Jerusalem and, later, Latin emperor of Constantinople, traces one of the most remarkable careers in the entire medieval period.  Meer

John of Brienne's progress, from mid-ranking knightly status to king of Jerusalem and, later, Latin emperor of Constantinople, traces one of the most remarkable careers in the entire medieval period.  Meer

The Briennes were a highly important aristocratic family who hailed from the Champagne region of north-eastern France, but whose reach and impact extended across Europe and into the Crusader States in the Middle East.  Meer

The Briennes were a particularly fascinating example of the far-flung international aristocracy in the 'age of the Crusades'. This first comprehensive study of the dynasty explores not only its rise, glory and fall, but also how it helped to shape the nature of the European state system.  Meer