Numerous songs which represent a rich material for studying the crusades to the Holy Land were composed in southern France. It should be noted that this issue has been recently marked with important scholarship, and first of all the database ‘Troubadours, Trouvères and the Crusades’ conceived by Linda Paterson and her colleagues. The book under review is a study of geographical references and spatiality present in some of the songs. The preface includes a thorough description of various types of songs which may be somehow connected to crusading. It should be noted that the book might be interesting not only for crusade scholars, but also for historians of music, since Golden often provides a thorough analysis of song melodies.

In my view the most valuable part of the book is the case studies which form the two last chapters. Chapter v is a detailed analysis of two crusade songs, Ierusalem mirabilis and Nomen a solemnibus. The songs are not new and have already been published, but in order to take into account every detail of the text and music, and all melodic variations as well, Golden consulted the manuscripts in situ in Paris. Complete transcriptions, translations, as well as manuscript photographs are provided in the book. The first song, which scholars believe to be the earliest extant crusade song, was probably composed when the First Crusade had just been launched, and the second one after Jerusalem was taken. Golden provides convincing arguments that all space-related rhetoric varies from one song to another: in the first case Jerusalem figures as something very distant and unknown, while in the second it is as something familiar. Chapter vi starts with an analysis of geography-related elements in Macabru's Second Crusade song, Pax in nomine Domini. I would like to note that this song is extremely interesting for the study of crusade preaching: it is early evidence for the existence of the idea of danger to the soul in case of non-crusading (crusade as a kind of washing place, lavador, for one's soul) and the idea of crusade as an act of vengeance for wrongs done to God. Another song analysed in the final chapter is a song of Jaufre, Lanqan li jorn, a fusion of crusader and love themes.

Chapters ii, iii and iv are not focused on specific songs and deal with broader subjects concerning geography-related aspects of crusade songs. In fact, the purpose of these parts seem to me not very clearly articulated. I also have an impression that some parts of this narrative are superfluous and do not deal directly with geography-related aspects of crusade songs. It is hard to understand the structure of these chapters. For example, chapter iii starts with an analysis of geography matters in Pope Urban ii's speech and its reflection in early crusade songs. Then follows a summary of the chronicles of the First Crusade, their authorship and historical context, but it is unclear for what purpose: it is true that songs are sometimes compared with chronicles, but these comparisons had already been made in the second chapter. Furthermore, it is not clear why only First Crusade chronicles are commented upon and involved in the study, while the songs discussed can be from any year within the era of crusading to the Holy Land. Then follows a description of Urban ii's preaching tour. After this there is an example of a much later song testifying that First Crusade memories of local heroism were still alive. The next subchapter addresses Urban's conception of crusade as an act of love and its reflection in much later crusade songs. Then there are subchapters on crusade indulgence as granted by Urban and on indulgences in crusade songs, as well as some other issues. Reflections present in the subchapter on crusade miracles seem to me strange: the author draws parallels between celestial signs, which prefigured the First Crusade, and two songs, one of which reports the miracle of Holy Fire, and another one a ‘brightness of light’ above Jerusalem which allegedly proves the sanctity of the city. The situation with the second and the fourth chapters is quite similar: there are many things which can be interesting for specialists in history, literature and musicology, but I found it difficult to follow the logic of the narrative.