This volume provides the first English translation, with introduction and notes, of the Annals of Genoa, by Caffaro, along with related texts and documents on Genoa and the crusades in the 12th century. The vast majority of early crusading historiography is from a northern and southern French clerical perspective. Here is a very different voice, one with a secular, Mediterranean tone and to see the similarities and differences with the mainstream sources is genuinely exciting. These materials can add much to our understanding of the reception of crusading ideas in the Mediterranean and, given Genoa's prominence in the commercial world, help to illuminate the complex and controversial relationship between holy war and financial gain. Caffaro's main composition, the Annals of Genoa, began with the First Crusade and extended down to 1163. He also wrote about the emergence of consular rule in Genoa and he covered the city's dealings with the papacy, the German Empire and Pisa. Appended to this is a brief section from the continuation of the Annals to round out the story for the remainder of the twelfth century, particularly with regard to the Third Crusade. Caffaro's two other texts are: De liberatione civitatas orientem and De captione Almeria et Tortose.

These are much shorter but contain different information and are exclusively about the crusades. Also included is a short work associated with Caffaro (but of a later date), the Brevis Historia Iherosolymitanae. In addition to these narratives, the book provides translations of a selection of charters and letters that complement the main texts. These deal with Genoese privileges in the Holy Land and arrangements they made with crusaders, such as the contract with King Philip II of France to transport his army to the Levant. These documents form a valuable resource in their own right and, placed alongside Caffaro's narratives, show the blend of commercial energy, civic pride and religious conviction that were the basis of Genoese activity.