September 1191. Richard the Lionheart has taken Acre, and Jerusalem lies beyond a long, exposed coast road. To get there his crusader army must march south under constant attack from Saladin's mounted archers, who ride in, shoot and ride away, waiting for the Franks to lose their nerve.

Arsuf follows that fighting march day by day: the infantry walking in mail and quilted coats with arrows stuck in them, the cavalry held inside the column, the fleet keeping pace offshore. Then, on 7 September near the forest of Arsuf, two knights break ranks before the signal and force the charge. Legend turned that moment into a masterstroke. The sources tell a messier and more human story.

Drawing on the Itinerarium, Ambroise and Saladin's own secretary Baha al-Din, Jim Pitrat sets out what happened, why it happened and what it decided, and what it didn't. An After Action Review, order of battle, timeline, walking guide, glossary and source notes make this a compact, honest guide to one of the Crusades' most famous battles.