Crusader: By Horse to Jerusalem [Paperback]

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!

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."