Crossed: A Tale of the Fourth Crusade
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
In the year 1202, tens of thousands of crusaders gather in Venice, preparing to embark for Jerusalem to free the Holy City from Muslim rule. Among them is a lowly vagabond Briton, rescued from damnation by a pious knight who burns with zealous fire for their sacred undertaking. And so they set sail, along with dedicated companions—and with a beautiful, mysterious Arab "princess" whom the vagabond liberates from a brutish merchant. But the divine light guiding their "righteous" campaign soon darkens as the mission sinks ever deeper into catastrophe, disgrace, and moral turpitude—as Christians murder Christians in the Adriatic port city of Zara, tragic events are set in motion that will ultimately lead to the shocking and shameful fall of Constantinople.
Impeccably researched and beautifully told, Nicole Galland's Crossed is a stunning tale of the disastrous Fourth Crusade—and of the hopeful, brave, and driven who were caught up in and irrevocably changed by a corrupted cause and a furious battle beyond their comprehension or control.
Nicole Galland
Nicole Galland is the author of the historical novels Godiva; I, Iago; Crossed; Revenge of the Rose; and The Fool’s Tale; as well as the contemporary romantic comedies On the Same Page and Stepdog, and the New York Times bestselling near-future thriller The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (with Neal Stephenson).
Read more from Nicole Galland
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I, Iago: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Crossed
Related ebooks
The Space Machine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bone Flower Queen: The Bone Flower Trilogy, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cecelia Holland Historical Fiction Collection: Until the Sun Falls, Jerusalem, and Pillar of the Sky Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDeath and Resurrection Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Magic Needles Magic Knife Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSelene of Alexandria Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Night Land Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lord Jim Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Testament of Yves Gundron Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Midsummer Tempest Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Arrows of Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Earth Is the Lord's: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boat of a Million Years Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Roma Mater Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Charwoman's Shadow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Dream of Wessex Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quozl Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I Am Venus: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Banner of Souls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Rosaleen: A Famine Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHawk of May Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Prestimion Trilogy: Sorcerers of Majipoor, Lord Prestimion, and The King of Dreams Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Shadow of Ararat: Book One of 'The Oath of Empire' Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lady Magdalen Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Siege Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shades And Shadows Collection: The Complete Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Queen's Prophet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Two Ravens: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Sea Beggars: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Gift Upon the Shore Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Medieval Fiction For You
How to Be a Scottish Mistress Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nottingham: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fates Will Find Their Way: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Help Me Understand Dante's Inferno!: Includes Summary of Poem and Modern Translation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Burning Land: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Radio Free Albemuth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTsarina: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Viking: The Viking Series, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Iron King Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil's Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Volume One: A Morbid Taste for Bones, One Corpse Too Many, and Monk's Hood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNarcissus and Goldmund: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Odin's Game: the first gripping Viking warrior adventure in the Whale Road Chronicles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The King Arthur Trilogy Book One: Dragon's Child Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Enemy of God: A Novel of Arthur Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lady of the Loch: A page-turning, unforgettable timeslip novel from Elena Collins Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Howls From the Dark Ages: An Anthology of Medieval Horror Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Dance on the Starlight Pier: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shadow of the Alchemist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Elephant's Journey: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hild: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Hours: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Night Tiger: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Avalon: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Wife of Bath: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Crossed
35 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5One day in the year 1202, a British man breaks into the tent of a marquis, believing that he can both kill his enemy and be killed himself, achieving his ultimate goals in this life. Fortunately, the Briton is unwillingly rescued from suicide by a pious knight, Gregor of Mainz, something of a religious and martial icon at the start of the Fourth Crusade. Before they set sail, the Briton manages to rescue an Arab princess, who shares space on the journey with Gregor, his brother Otto, Otto’s concubine, and two dimwitted servants. Together, this peculiar crew embark on one of history’s most disastrous mistakes with thousands of other knights, clerics, and leaders.It probably isn’t normal for most readers of this book to know all about the catastrophic Fourth Crusade. Catastrophic in hindsight, that is; this one was remarkably successful in terms of victories but horrid in terms of killing other Christians and not even coming close to achieving its goal of retaking Jerusalem. For the record, all the crusades were wrong and are actually appalling to think about, but this one is even so in medieval terms, which is quite impressive. So on approaching Crossed, I generally had down the politics, the outline of events, and the crazy people who were at the head of this insanity. If I hadn’t, I think the politics would have irritated me, but the history is great. No one can make this stuff up. It’s just too unreal for words, but it happened, and at a comfortable 800 year distance, we can even find it horrific in an amusing way.Such is what Galland accomplishes with Crossed. She doesn’t really go for a medieval mindset with these characters. The closest is probably Gregor, who adheres to medieval standards very rigidly, but the rest of the characters are often used to play with the absurdities of medieval life rather than being approximations of the people who might have lived 800 years ago. I got used to this idea in Galland’s first book and it hasn’t really bothered me since now that I know what she’s doing. The Briton is mainly the character that she uses for this purpose, employing hindsight to fuel his clever retorts and lamentations on fate, such as in response to the glory of battle,“Is Christ smiling down at you for this? Do you become more Christian if you smear yourself in Christian gore?” (302)At all times, we’re fully aware that this crusade is horrible and what the knights are being told to do is completely wrong. It’s terrible, but it’s also showing us the absurdity of the entire idea by poking at its ridiculousness.Not all of the book is great, though. Parts do drag. The history is fascinating, but the politics less so, and after a point the relationship between the Briton and Jamila has more or less been exhausted. The book is lengthy because it manages to cover almost the entire crusade, but it also covers a great deal more. I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure how much of that was remembering my favorite old history professor teaching in my head as opposed to how much I was genuinely enjoying the book. I think this is certainly worth a try for historical fiction readers and history buffs, taken with a grain of salt. It’s perhaps not Galland’s best book but I’ll still be eagerly awaiting her fourth novel.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book is one of the best researched novels I have ever read, but that was not enough to make me enjoy the story. The characters (and their motivations) all felt a bit too modern when cast against the period setting of the novel. Still, I learned a lot of background information, and I found the quotes at the beginning of every chapter both clever and appropriate.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It is quite clear that Galland had done her homework and that she knew events and customs inside and out while writing the book. Still, I would almost hesitate to call the book historical fiction. It almost seems to be more modern fiction set against an historical backdrop. The Briton, in particular, has extremely modern sensibilities and voice. Having recently read Sharon Kay Penman’s “Devil’s Brood,” set in England in roughly the same period, the difference in period feel is striking. That being said, I still felt as if I learned much about this absurd ‘crusade’ of which I was quite ignorant. Although the book dragged a bit in the middle, I thought this was a very good read overall, just don’t go into it expecting period feel, or you will be disappointed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A very interesting tale of life about the Fourth Crusade, the one that never made it to the Holy Land. Characters changed and developed in a believable way as dissolusionment set in. Recommended.