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The knights of dark renown

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This book follows the lives and actions of Europeans living and ruling in Palestine after the second crusade. The book centers on the conflict between the Christian leaders and the Saracans led by Saladin. There is much conflict between those who want to continue the peace with the Moslems, notably the leper King Baldwin and his supporters, led by the noble Lord Balian and those who scorn peace and want to wipe out the Moslems, led by the despicable Lord Reynald, known for his cruel acts of violence. Along with political intrigue the book features the romance between Humphrey, the stepson of the dreaded Reynald, and Isabella, the stepdaughter of Balian.

This book offers a clear look into the trials and tribulations of life in Palestine during the Middle ages. It has it all: intrigue, battles, love, romance - and it delivers all of these components in solid fashion. Shelby takes dry historical facts and breathes life into them, filling in the gaps with characteristic insight and detail, resulting in a wonderful story that transports the reader into the time and place of the Crusades. By the time of the fateful final battle with Saladin and his forces, the reader wishes to be transported into the leaders' tents to bash some sense into them. This book is more than a good read: it is an educational experience of a time and place most of us know very little of. This book is hard to find, but it is worth the look.

Shelby's use of texture and setting is sometimes good, and one is drawn into his more intimate scenes. However, the story itself is absurd and entirely sacrifices history for the author's own prejudices. To summarize, Shelby demonizes the Christians and lionizes Saladin and the Muslims. Shelby goes out of his way to depict the Crusaders in every sort of morally compromising situation, from murdering innocent civilians to hanging out in a brothel. Meanwhile Saladin is as pure as morning foam, a lover of poetry and learning, polite and generous to all. Nonsense! I'm not saying that the Crusaders were pristine virgins either, but medieval Muslims were just as brutal and warlike. Saladin himself frequently beheaded his opponents, and had no problem subjugating his fellow Muslims through fierce campaigns of conquest.

Shelby wrote this book before current scholarship pointed out many of the problems with traditional views of the political situation in Outremer. For example, William of Tyre's prejudices entirely color Shelby's portrayal of characters like Patriarch Heraclius and Baldwin IV's mother Agnes. Both are cast as sneering, devilish baddies with about as much depth as a the villain with the black mustache who ties the heroine to the train tracks in old silent films. Weirdly, Shelby portrays Humphrey of Toron as a heterosexual, which is strange indeed. The plot itself is fairly untidy, with a lot of false starts and unresolved threads. An unrealized character sketch of Heraclius' mistress peters out after the first couple scenes in which she appears. It all ends up being hastily concluded with a ham-handed execution of the Battle of Hattin, which reads more like a sophomore's history class essay than good fiction.

Also, Shelby does a terrible job of depicting the religious sensibilities of the time. His modernist judgments on medieval attitudes loom constantly. Rather than allowing the characters historically accurate piety on their own terms, he insists that it's all hypocrisy. So he fails to even remotely capture the authentic psychology of the period. The fact is that medieval people really were sincere about their religious lives, as difficult as that might be for present day people to imagine.

Compare this trite rubbish to Cecelia Holland's brilliant "Jerusalem", which covers the same period and yet draws the reader in to an accurate medieval world filled with vivid characters who are allowed their own personalities rather than serving as puppets for acting out Shelby's own prejudices. The difference between Holland's Battle of Hattin and Shelby's are striking, the former being enthralling and devastating, the latter being a total yawn.

Honestly, it's a good thing this book is difficult to find. Hopefully someday it will be impossible to find, and entirely forgotten.

Graham Shelby has become one of my favorite authors. This book takes you into the world of the Crusades. The Knights of Dark Renown not only gives you a clear and specific view of one of the most crucial times in the history of the Crusades, but it brings the actual people involved to life. In reading this book, you will feel like you have known the characters for years and will feel both their joys and sorrows.
I heartily recommend this book to both history enthusiasts and those who just like a good story.