Outremer Hardcover – February 1, 2012

Enjoyed this very much, the writing style is good, allowing for an interesting narrative that sticks to the true history of the period. I have always been interested in this period of history and have read many historians accounts. The author here has portrayed, what I believe to be, a true account of the holy war in a novel style. I read this for a second time just this week, one year or so after the last time, and still found it great.

This book starts slow and is somewhat confusing. The main character starts telling the story of the battle of Hattin in the Holy Land. Then, just to mix things up, a minor character retells the same thing. After that, though, the story takes off. The story is told from the point of view of a crusader many years after the Holy Land is lost to Muslims. It follows the main character as he travels around the Holy Land, and then recruits throughout Europe, all the while trying to get back to his family in Tripoli. Some of the characters are based on actual historical figures, and teh author does a good job describing them and other historical events.Overall a very good book. I will read more of this author's works.

This book is basically three different things: A well-written historically accurate novella of actual events in Outremer and Europe, the personal recollections leading up to said events by the main (fictional) protagonists Geoffrey and his former squire Enoul, and then, unfortunately, interminably long- winded and stilted conversations between Geoffrey, his Muslim friend, and a member of the Church of Rome.

I enjoyed this story. It was very well written and sticks pretty closely, apart from a few timelines altered to facilitate the plot, to the known accounts of what actually took place. In the early part of the book there seemed to me to be too many quite long quotes from religious and literary texts of those times that often detracted from the tale being told. However, when relating the story of the hero in particular, and Richard and Saladin in general, the action moved along nicely.Great characters portrayed, and given life, here, particularly the larger than life King Richard and Conrad.All in all, a good presentation in a field where there is quite a lot of competition for excellence.

I read a lot about the Crusades, focusing primarily on the Templars and their involvement, due to some heritage. Although this book is not centered on them, thie cross on the shield depicted on the cover is. This book is a fun read, with some interesting historical twists. The storyline generally follows history as far as the central characters are concerned but some of the religious discussions go on to the point of being tedious. All in all, it's a good intro/primer to the final years of the Crusades, and a fine book to read on a rainy week-end!

taunt storyFrom the Deathbed, a native born 3rd generation descendant of a crusader, vividly recounts his rich life, spanning youth to seasoned warrior and man of learningKey figures (Popes, William Marshal, The Lion Heart, Saladin and his kin) drawn from source material + an excellent bibliography is provided. The author stands out as a writer and scholar.

This is an excellent read for anyone with a love of medieval history. It takes the form of a novel but it is based closely on historical sources. The protagonist has an uncanny knack of being present at every major event preceding, during, and following the 3rd crusade. He tells it like it is, admiring Richard I's obvious good qualities while also deploring his execution of prisoners after the capture of Acre. I hope the author will present us with a sequel (or prequel) in due course.

I am an armchair historian with the keenest of interests in the Crusades. I lived there for nearly 3 years and have read many history books. This is a fiction book but its history and perspective is unique and is worth every penny of the exporbitant price for a used book! I hope Richard Allibone writes more!James