Nearly 900 years ago, Duke Godfrey de Bouillon set out on the First Crusade--and in our own time, author Tim Severin retraced his steps. The destination: Jerusalem, city of gold. For more than eight years, Severin followed the historic trail, riding through northern Europe's green countryside and into the heat of the Near East. In the process, he covered more than 2,500 miles by horse, past ruined Crusader settlements and ancient battlefields, over arduous mountain passes, and across Anatolian steppes. A dazzling synthesis of adventure, practical history, and exploration, told by one of our finest and most respected travel writers--illustrated with his own photographs.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Tim Severin was born in 1940 and educated at Tonbridge School and Oxford University. He has sailed a leather boat across the North Atlantic in the wake of Saint Brendan, captained an Arab sailing ship from Muscat to China, and steered the replica of a Bronze Age galley to investigate the stories of Jason and the Argonauts and Ulysses' Odyssey. He holds the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society, awarded in1 1986 for outstanding services to exploration and geographic history. In 1988, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society presented him with the Livingstone Gold Medal. When not travelling Tim Severin lives in County Cork, Ireland.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you are reluctant to delve into the ideological controversy surrounding the crusades but would like to know more about the practical aspects of such an enterprise, this is one book you might enjoy reading. Irish travel writer Tim Severin largely avoids speculation about what motivated and sustained the crusaders (was it greed? religious fanaticism? pursuit of fame and glory? promise of salvation? a thirst for adventure and empire building?), although he consults and cites historical sources. Instead, he concentrates on the logistics of such an expedition. How was it organized and financed? Which routes were used? How much distance could be covered per day? How did the men and the horses cope with the challenges posed by terrain, climate, food supply or lack thereof, disease and enemy attacks?
To find out, he and a female companion retraced the route of Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, leader of the first crusade (1096), from Chateau Bouillon in Belgium to Jerusalem, on horseback. In their effort to use horses closely resembling the medieval war horse, Tim and Sarah settled on a sturdy Ardennes stallion and an Irish bog mare. (Alas, neither horse completed the journey). A Jeep and a moped were used as backup transportation. The team covered an average of 20 miles/day, over a distance of more than 2500 miles. Frequent re-shoeing of the horses, dealing with saddle sores, lameness, heat exhaustion and digestive problems took up a considerable portion of the time.
Traversing Germany, Austria, Hungary (where another horse was added), Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkey, they followed the ancient Roman road as closely as possible. After 4 months - about the same time it had taken Godfrey - they reached Istanbul.
The narrative skillfully blends historical reports with the various stages of the author's progress. Encounters with hospitable and generous farmers, recalcitrant bureaucrats, wily horse traders and smugglers make for lively reading. After a winter's layover in Anatolia, the team pressed on to Syria and Israel. With 2 Turkish ponies, they finally entered Jerusalem and walked to the Holy Sepulchre, completing Godfrey's journey - and their own. Godfrey, having been appointed "Defender of the Holy Sepulchre", died in Jerusalem in 1100.
A number of color photographs and line drawings accompany the text. A serious drawback is the absence of maps: while the author frequently mentions " poring over old Ottoman maps", he doesn't show us any.
Summarizing his experiences, Severin felt he had gained " a new understanding of what went through the minds of the travellers: the fundamental change of emphasis from optimistic beginning, through disillusion, to a stubborn yearning to achieve the goal after so much affliction and commitment."
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In a world where we can hop on a plane and jet off to the Holy Land in a matter of hours the enormity of the achievement of the first Crusade is difficult to appreciate.
Tim Severin set out to demonstrate what was involved in his own imimical way, by doing it. Combining good historical research with practical archeology he set out to recreate the journey of the knights of the first crusade.
Follow him as he chooses his horses in Ireland and France, and sets out from the home of the very first King of the Crusader Kingdom of Jereusalem. You travel with him down the ancient Roman Roads of Europe, as he narrates how the Byzantine emperor called for help from Frankish knights in his war against the Turks, and how the response he got was not at all what he had planned.
Trace the route across the plain of Hungary, through Bulgaria and into what was the Byzantine Empire, as you learn of the horrors of the peoples crusade, the depravation, the cannibalism and the impalings.
In Turkey Severin meets friendly locals and impassable mountains and narrates the possible reasons for the success in battle of the Frankish knights.
This is a fascinating journey that will interest any Crusade follower, horse lovers, travellers and historians alike!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very readable account of an unusual journey: to retrace the steps of the First Crusade, from Europe to Jerusalem, the author and a companion followed the old pilgrim trails on horseback, the same means of travel as the original Crusader knights used. The narrative of the travel is well-written and does not fail to "grab" the reader, whether describing the many local characters and land encountered in so many countries en route, the hardships and challenges of such a long equestrian venture, or the interesting passages of historical background interspersed with the ongoing travelogue. My only negatives were: (1) the book was obviously not proofread well before going to press and printing errors abound, and (2) inclusion of a map would have helped the reader to follow more easily the described route of travel as it occurred. These quibbles do not detract overall from a lovely story well-told, and of interest whether or not you have a horsey background.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A little more practical research?
The pros: this book is a smooth easy read, interesting for both the "modern" (25 years ago) story of traveling by horseback through eastern Europe and the Middle East and all the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ann
Thanks for taking me with you!--I felt like I was there.
Great service on the book. Although I'm not to Jerusalem yet...I'm loving every page. It's especially captivating for animal lovers and riders who enjoy the horses as much as the... Read more
Published on September 18, 2009 by Gloria
good book
This is a well-written book regarding two people's journey from France to Jerusalem on horseback, following the route of the First Crusade. Read more
Published on July 19, 2009 by furkidz
Cru-Saddle Sore
I enjoy Severin's smooth prose style and didn't find this book hard going at all as a bedside table read. Read more
Published on September 23, 2002 by Susan (Arizona)
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