A fascinating and extremely readable account of this strange misadventure. Phillips uses sources from all sides of the conflict to deftly examine the motivations of the nobles who led the crusade and found themselves trapped in one impossible situation after another; the pope who kicked it off but later railed impotently at the crusaders' attacks on Christian cities; the lesser men who, aiming to 'liberate' Jerusalem, were instead directed against Zara and Constantinople, ripping them to pieces and still feeling cheated of their spoils; and the Byzantine emperors (six of them!) whose poor leadership doomed the Queen of Cities.

Possibly the best 10p I've spent on a book!