ABSTRACT
Walter began each of his two books with a prologue commenting on the purpose of his work. He began Book One hoping that 'when men capable of reason and defenders of the true faith heard the truth, they would cleave strongly to the power and service of their Creator'. His purpose in Book Two is far more problematic. Instead of being able to glory in victory he chose to record Antiochene disaster at the hands of Il-ghazi of Mardin. In the second prologue Walter stated that he would describe the 'grief of griefs' and 'complete unhappiness' of the Field of Blood 'commending it to the memory of posterity'. He also goes beyond the explanation of the Field of Blood later in Book Two, to demonstrate the return of God's favour by focusing upon the salvation of the principality under King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and God's omnipotence through the eventual defeat and destruction of Il-ghazi.
