Les Châteaux des Croisés en Terre-Sainte. I. Le Crac des Chevaliers: Etude Historique et Archéologique. II. La Défense du Royaume de Jérusalem: Etude Historique, Geographique et Monumentale. III. La Défense du Comté de Tripoli et de la Principauté d'Antioche: Etude Historique, Geographique, Toponymique et Monumentale

Three volumes in six comprising a rare complete collection of the monumental work on the Crusader Castles in the Holy Lands, the first volume covering the history, architecture, and construction of the Syrian Crusader castle Crac des Chavaliers, the second volume on the history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the construction of its fortresses and castles including Kerak, Toron, and Beaufort, the third volume on Crusaders' fortresses in what is now Lebanon, each volume comprised of a text volume (327, 267, and 422 pp., respectively) with notes, indices, and bibliographic material, accompanied by a portfolio-style album of maps, floor plans, and plates depicting views, elevations, photographs, and architectural details. Some minor foxing, some volumes ex-library copies with bookplates and stamps, overall very good. 4to. Text vols. I & II: blue cloth binding with gilt lettering to spine, original wrpps. bound in at back of volume; text vol. III grey cloth-backed boards. Plate albums: cloth-backed boards, tie-bound. Some scuffing to text volumes; some scuffing, darkening, and small stains to plate albums, wear to spine of album I, portfolio of album II professionally restored. Paris (Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner) 1934, 1939, and 1973. (Volume III from the series Institut Français d'Archéologie de Beyrouth, Bibliothèque Archéologique et Historique, 90.). Paul Deschamps was a noted medievalist French historian who took almost four decades to complete this work on the Crusader Castles, completing the final volume only a year before his death. These volumes provide an important archaeological, geographic, and historical reference for some of the most important Crusader castles and fortresses in present-day Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. Construction on these fortresses was mainly done in the 12th centuries, often on the site of previous habitations, with many changes taking place over the following centuries as possession of the castles changed hands. Deschamps, along with architect Francois Anus, was the first person to do an in-depth study and create accurate architectural plans of some of these castles. A very rare complete collection of all three volumes of this important work.