Andrew Buck first gained a love of medieval history during his BA at the University of East Anglia and his studies provided him with a strong interest in Medieval Europe and the Chansons de Geste.  Eventually these interests combined and he began to specialise in the period of the Crusades, with his third year dissertation being an exploration of the Fourth Crusade. 

He also carried out my MA at UEA during which he wrote my thesis on the Second Crusade.  He then decided to come to London and carry out his doctoral research at Queen Mary under the guidance of Dr. Thomas Asbridge.  His thesis aims to discuss the significance of the Crusader principality of Antioch in the Latin East for the period 1130-1193. It will explore its role in the politics of Outremer, and also the extent to which it could utilise a policy of independence. 

A strong focus of the study will be the diplomatic and military interaction of the Antiochenes with the other interested powers as well as exploring the potential influence of a 'frontier mentality' on the Antiochene Latins.