The Conquest of Constantinople Free online reading

This first-hand account of the noble, barbaric Fourth Crusade was written by Geoffroy de Villehardouin, a French nobleman who played a leading role in the war. The First, Second, and Third Crusades were an effort by Christians to free the Holy Land from the Turks, but the Fourth Crusade degenerated into a war of conquest amongst fellow Christians. Villehardouin's account provides important insights into the motivations of the crusaders in this most famous of campaigns, launched at the dawn of the 13th century.