The Road to Jerusalem

In November, 1095, Pope Urban II called for a pilgrimage to liberate Jerusalem. Now called the First Crusade, the expedition achieved its objective by capturing Jerusalem in July, 1099. The Road to Jerusalem tells the story of two participants in the Crusade. Cedric of Matour is a young knight, desperate to prove himself. Brother Thomas is a monk and scribe accompanying Count Raymond of St Gilles, appointed by the Pope to lead the army. Both of them participate in some of the key events of the Crusade, and both are profoundly changed by the experience. Ravid of Ascalon is a Muslim who acts as a messenger between the Turkish and Saracen leaders confronting the crusaders. He shows how the Muslims reacted to the Crusader armies (known as the Franks), and why they were defeated. Experiencing the remarkable events between 1095 and 1099 through the eyes of participants brings the Crusade to vivid life. This is a saga of courage and virtue, and of the terrible cost that war exacts from soldiers.