List of figures and maps; Preface and acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; List of contributors; General maps; 1. Political culture in three spheres: introduction Catherine Holmes, Jonathan Shepard, Jo Van Steenbergen and Björn Weiler; 2. Reflections on political culture in three spheres R. Stephen Humphreys; Part I. Sources: 3. Comparing the three spheres through the prism of the sources Jonathan Shepard; 4. The Latin west: sources Björn Weiler and Jonathan Shepard; 5. Byzantium: sources Jonathan Shepard; 6. The Islamic world: sources Jo Van Steenbergen and Jonathan Shepard; Part II. Historical Contexts: 7. The Latin west: pluralism in the shadow of the past Len Scales; 8. Byzantium: one or many? Catherine Holmes; 9. The Islamic world: conquest, migration and accommodating diversity Andrew Marsham, Eric Hanne and Jo Van Steenbergen; Part III. Norms, Values and their Propagation: 10. The Latin west: expectations and legitimisation Björn Weiler; 11. Byzantium: imperial order, Constantinopolitan ceremonial and pyramids of power Judith Herrin; 12. The Islamic world: community, leadership and contested patterns of continuity Andrew Marsham, Eric Hanne and Jo Van Steenbergen; Part IV. Practice and Organisation: 13. The Latin west: multiple elites and overlapping jurisdictions Daniel Power; 14. Byzantium: 'To have and to hold' - the acquisition and maintenance of elite power Rosemary Morris; 15. The Islamic world: nomads, urban elites and courts in competition Andrew Marsham, Eric Hanne and Jo Van Steenbergen; Part V. Conclusions: 16. Comparisons, connections and conclusions Jonathan Shepard; Appendix; Glossary; Index.