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Riding Through History
By Tim Severin Crusader: By Horse to Jerusalem
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.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
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183 people want to read
About the author
Tim Severin
46 books266 followersTim Severin was a British explorer, historian and writer. Severin is noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He received the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his 1982 book The Sindbad Voyage.
He was born Timothy Severin in Assam, India in 1940. Severin attended Tonbridge School and studied geography and history at Keble College, Oxford.
Severin has also written historical fiction along with non fiction. The Viking Series, first published in 2005, concerns a young Viking adventurer who travels the world. In 2007 he published The Adventures of Hector Lynch series set in the late 17th century about a 17-year-old Corsair.
He was born Timothy Severin in Assam, India in 1940. Severin attended Tonbridge School and studied geography and history at Keble College, Oxford.
Severin has also written historical fiction along with non fiction. The Viking Series, first published in 2005, concerns a young Viking adventurer who travels the world. In 2007 he published The Adventures of Hector Lynch series set in the late 17th century about a 17-year-old Corsair.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 29, 2021
Tim Severin is well known for his excellent recreations of historic or mythological sea voyages – Brendan, Sindbad, Jason, Ulysses, etc and the non-fiction books he writes about these. He has a pretty successful formula which he follows with his books - historical accuracy, a lot of research and careful preparation – often including the construction of a historically accurate boat. He writes very well, blending the historical information with the rigours of his journey, but avoiding the mundanity of day in day out travel.
This journey, and book are a little different. Severin sets out to re-enact the long overland route of Duke Godfrey de Bouillon during the first Crusade from Bouillion in Belgium (although it was in France at the time) to Jerusalem. Not only that, he plans to do this on a heavy horse – as close to a crusader warhorse as he can find.
Severin’s first task is to locate a suitable heavy horse. Easier said than done, as his research shows him – horses have always been bred with specific requirements, and the need for war horses has been little in the last thousand years. The closest option was an Ardennes horse, from Belgium, and after much looking he found one that not only met his needs, but was also available to buy. This he did, and by a roundabout way had him delivered to Ireland.
Next a chance encounter in a restaurant, which realistically probably swung the whole expedition from vaguely plausible to something possible. He met Sarah - an experienced horsewoman with not only technical knowledge but natural flair with horsemanship. Together they selected a second horse to join them – Mystery, an ex-trekking horse.
Accompanied by Sarah, for the whole expedition, although she only agreed to a segment of the journey at a time, they packed up and headed to Bouillon, where the expedition was to leave. It is worth mentioning that Severin was at pains to re-enact the actual route of Duke Godfrey – not all those participants on the first Crusade travelled by the same route – most joined together in (modern) Turkey, across the Bosphorus.
The journey begins, and quickly they learn lessons, the figure out what is not working , and how they can adapt their equipment, their technique or their approach. From the start they benefited from the good will of those they dealt with, but also the many strangers whose paths they crossed - from finding a place to have the horses overnight, to being provided with food and other assistance. Nowhere was this more obvious than at the border crossings, where they garnered support from people with plenty of political (or other) power. The official vets at the borders seemed to wield a lot of power, often taking Severin in hand and taking him through customs and immigration.
The route passes from Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia (Serbia), Bulgaria, Turkey & Syria. At the point where the Crusaders entered Lebanon, passing through and into Jerusalem, Severin and Sarah were forced to leave the route and enter Jordan to avoid Lebanon, fractured with civil war at the time.
I enjoyed this book, and likely if it wasn’t Tim Severin, I would probably have four starred it without thinking twice. It is only because Severin’s books are so good, that I found this was not necessarily as excellent as his nautical non fiction books. Still, I settle on four stars, and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the history of the first Crusade, is interested in horse travel, or is a fan of Tim Severin.
This journey, and book are a little different. Severin sets out to re-enact the long overland route of Duke Godfrey de Bouillon during the first Crusade from Bouillion in Belgium (although it was in France at the time) to Jerusalem. Not only that, he plans to do this on a heavy horse – as close to a crusader warhorse as he can find.
Severin’s first task is to locate a suitable heavy horse. Easier said than done, as his research shows him – horses have always been bred with specific requirements, and the need for war horses has been little in the last thousand years. The closest option was an Ardennes horse, from Belgium, and after much looking he found one that not only met his needs, but was also available to buy. This he did, and by a roundabout way had him delivered to Ireland.
Next a chance encounter in a restaurant, which realistically probably swung the whole expedition from vaguely plausible to something possible. He met Sarah - an experienced horsewoman with not only technical knowledge but natural flair with horsemanship. Together they selected a second horse to join them – Mystery, an ex-trekking horse.
Accompanied by Sarah, for the whole expedition, although she only agreed to a segment of the journey at a time, they packed up and headed to Bouillon, where the expedition was to leave. It is worth mentioning that Severin was at pains to re-enact the actual route of Duke Godfrey – not all those participants on the first Crusade travelled by the same route – most joined together in (modern) Turkey, across the Bosphorus.
The journey begins, and quickly they learn lessons, the figure out what is not working , and how they can adapt their equipment, their technique or their approach. From the start they benefited from the good will of those they dealt with, but also the many strangers whose paths they crossed - from finding a place to have the horses overnight, to being provided with food and other assistance. Nowhere was this more obvious than at the border crossings, where they garnered support from people with plenty of political (or other) power. The official vets at the borders seemed to wield a lot of power, often taking Severin in hand and taking him through customs and immigration.
The route passes from Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia (Serbia), Bulgaria, Turkey & Syria. At the point where the Crusaders entered Lebanon, passing through and into Jerusalem, Severin and Sarah were forced to leave the route and enter Jordan to avoid Lebanon, fractured with civil war at the time.
I enjoyed this book, and likely if it wasn’t Tim Severin, I would probably have four starred it without thinking twice. It is only because Severin’s books are so good, that I found this was not necessarily as excellent as his nautical non fiction books. Still, I settle on four stars, and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the history of the first Crusade, is interested in horse travel, or is a fan of Tim Severin.
June 27, 2024
Tim Severin proves how difficult it must have been for the Crusaders to travel from Europe via Turkey and Syria and into Israel. An interesting piece of travel writing, but I did feel sorry for the horses.
October 15, 2013
When adventurer and author Tim Severin decided to recreate the journey of the first Crusaders to Jerusalem on horseback, he only had the information passed down by a few primary sources to forewarn him of what he and his companion Sarah and their mounts would encounter.
The problems began before they even hit the road though, most notably with finding the modern equivalent of an 11th century heavy war horse. The quest for the right sort of horse leads Severin to France where he meets the irrepressible Carty - initially an improbable larrikin - an Ardennes heavy horse directly descended from the horses ridden in to battle by Medieval knights like Duke Godfrey of Bouillon.
It is Godfrey's trail that Tim and the horse-savvy Sarah follow on their journey, only deviating when necessary to avoid injury to themselves or their mounts.
It is a journey that takes them from France up into northern Europe and down to Istanbul. Crossing the Bosphorus, they strike out across Anatolia, encountering places redolent with echoes of the distant past, and people generally more hospitable than those met by Godfrey and his fellow Crusaders.
Needless to say it isn't a smooth journey, and the drama of the tale includes not only the many hazards encountered throughout their cross-country horseback odyssey, but the various illnesses and injuries that beset the travellers, both two and four legged.
I won't spoil the book by revealing whether they - all or any - reach their goal, but Crusader is a darn good read, a wonderful combination of traveller's tale and history lesson. However, you probably won't come away with the inclination to undertake a similar journey; but you will undoubtedly fall in love with Carty!
The problems began before they even hit the road though, most notably with finding the modern equivalent of an 11th century heavy war horse. The quest for the right sort of horse leads Severin to France where he meets the irrepressible Carty - initially an improbable larrikin - an Ardennes heavy horse directly descended from the horses ridden in to battle by Medieval knights like Duke Godfrey of Bouillon.
It is Godfrey's trail that Tim and the horse-savvy Sarah follow on their journey, only deviating when necessary to avoid injury to themselves or their mounts.
It is a journey that takes them from France up into northern Europe and down to Istanbul. Crossing the Bosphorus, they strike out across Anatolia, encountering places redolent with echoes of the distant past, and people generally more hospitable than those met by Godfrey and his fellow Crusaders.
Needless to say it isn't a smooth journey, and the drama of the tale includes not only the many hazards encountered throughout their cross-country horseback odyssey, but the various illnesses and injuries that beset the travellers, both two and four legged.
I won't spoil the book by revealing whether they - all or any - reach their goal, but Crusader is a darn good read, a wonderful combination of traveller's tale and history lesson. However, you probably won't come away with the inclination to undertake a similar journey; but you will undoubtedly fall in love with Carty!
June 15, 2016
In 1096 Godfrey, Duke of Bouillon, had set out on the First Crusade to the Holy Land vowing to reach Jerusalem. Three years later they had got Jerusalem but Godfrey died one year after. ‘I proposed to follow Duke Godfrey's path to Jerusalem just as he had travelled along it — on horseback… from Château Bouillon (in the heart of the Ardennes Forest, Belgium) to his burial place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.’ writes Tim Severin the author.
With a four year old Ardennes heavy horse called Carty, Tim and Sarah (she is riding a horse called Mystery) set out on the 2000 mile journey.
The book follows the journey plus providing historical detail of the first crusade as they go. Severin tells the tales of the horses escapades rather than concentrating on his and Sarah's tales of woes which is wonderful.
They meet some wonderful people on route and inevitably ones that would rather do them harm. It is an amazing journey and Tim and Sarah are true adventurers.
With a four year old Ardennes heavy horse called Carty, Tim and Sarah (she is riding a horse called Mystery) set out on the 2000 mile journey.
The book follows the journey plus providing historical detail of the first crusade as they go. Severin tells the tales of the horses escapades rather than concentrating on his and Sarah's tales of woes which is wonderful.
They meet some wonderful people on route and inevitably ones that would rather do them harm. It is an amazing journey and Tim and Sarah are true adventurers.
October 5, 2014
I did overall quite enjoy this book in which the author retraces (I might almost say, re-enacts) the horseback journey of the first crusade. Tim's starting point for the trip was the same place Duke Godfrey de Bouillion started, he rides a heavy horse such as a knight in armour would have needed back in the day and plans to retrace the exact route wherever possible.
Following the path of the crusaders from Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria, to name a few, the trip eventually reaches Turkey and Syria, while reading this book the news is showing how that area is exploding into violence and it it sad to think how different this fascinating part of the world is today. The trip avoids Lebanon because of civil war and they travel down from Syria to Israel in what must be one of the most unusual such border crossings that ever occurred in the 80's.
Anyone interested in unusual travel books or in crusades will probably enjoy this book very much, as I did. The author starts off by giving the background of the crusade in each area, often at the beginning of chapters or sections, he then goes into the details of his own, often fascinating travel experiences in the area. These experiences include bucolic descriptions of Europe, camping with nomads in Turkey, overnighting at a crusader castle in Syria to name just a few.
For sheer effort this book probably deserves a four star rating. However I found the reading experience a little patchy -as one does with all travel books to an extent- and so I have only given it three. One of the things I found to drag a little related to the horses, I like horses and I know enough about them (just a tiny bit really) to be impressed by someone with even less experience them myself doing this journey. As horse journeys and horsey characters are new to Tim he focuses on them a fair bit and I could have done with more crusade, less horse.
I have been meaning to read some of Tim Severin's books for a long time and not getting around to it. One of the reasons I have been so keen is that I love voyage stories and Tim has done re enactments of Jason, Ulysses, Sindbad and Brendan. I have been wanting to read them for ages. There is a hint of irony that the first of Tim's books I got to had not a hint of ocean in the whole story, never mind, incentive to read more.
Following the path of the crusaders from Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria, to name a few, the trip eventually reaches Turkey and Syria, while reading this book the news is showing how that area is exploding into violence and it it sad to think how different this fascinating part of the world is today. The trip avoids Lebanon because of civil war and they travel down from Syria to Israel in what must be one of the most unusual such border crossings that ever occurred in the 80's.
Anyone interested in unusual travel books or in crusades will probably enjoy this book very much, as I did. The author starts off by giving the background of the crusade in each area, often at the beginning of chapters or sections, he then goes into the details of his own, often fascinating travel experiences in the area. These experiences include bucolic descriptions of Europe, camping with nomads in Turkey, overnighting at a crusader castle in Syria to name just a few.
For sheer effort this book probably deserves a four star rating. However I found the reading experience a little patchy -as one does with all travel books to an extent- and so I have only given it three. One of the things I found to drag a little related to the horses, I like horses and I know enough about them (just a tiny bit really) to be impressed by someone with even less experience them myself doing this journey. As horse journeys and horsey characters are new to Tim he focuses on them a fair bit and I could have done with more crusade, less horse.
I have been meaning to read some of Tim Severin's books for a long time and not getting around to it. One of the reasons I have been so keen is that I love voyage stories and Tim has done re enactments of Jason, Ulysses, Sindbad and Brendan. I have been wanting to read them for ages. There is a hint of irony that the first of Tim's books I got to had not a hint of ocean in the whole story, never mind, incentive to read more.
April 7, 2018
I found out about this book in the footnotes to John France's Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade, and I was so thrilled that I ordered it instantly off ebay. For years I had been wondering why someone hadn't written a travel book about retracing the steps of the First Crusade, and it turns out that they had. Hooray!
This book is, like all good travel books, a fascinating blend of landscape, history, and entertaining anecdote - mostly about horses, which makes it a must-own for horse lovers. For a historian, its main attraction lies in the vividly-described difficulties of horse travel through this region. I got a much clearer idea than ever before what crusading must have involved in terms of day-to-day challenges - the changing landscape, the sudden and mysterious ailments that affect the horses, the harsh climate.
Oddly enough, the sections of the book I found least interesting were the ones retelling the actual history of the First Crusade, partly because at this stage I might actually know more about it than Tim Severin does. Nevertheless, he's clearly done his research and this was by and large a very reliable source, drawing on (for example), Dr David French's work on identifying the location of the battle of Dorylaeum, and Jonathan Riley-Smith's landmark work The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading.
Thoroughly enjoyable!
This book is, like all good travel books, a fascinating blend of landscape, history, and entertaining anecdote - mostly about horses, which makes it a must-own for horse lovers. For a historian, its main attraction lies in the vividly-described difficulties of horse travel through this region. I got a much clearer idea than ever before what crusading must have involved in terms of day-to-day challenges - the changing landscape, the sudden and mysterious ailments that affect the horses, the harsh climate.
Oddly enough, the sections of the book I found least interesting were the ones retelling the actual history of the First Crusade, partly because at this stage I might actually know more about it than Tim Severin does. Nevertheless, he's clearly done his research and this was by and large a very reliable source, drawing on (for example), Dr David French's work on identifying the location of the battle of Dorylaeum, and Jonathan Riley-Smith's landmark work The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading.
Thoroughly enjoyable!
October 5, 2025
I read this as part of my personal project to educate myself on all things Crusade, and being the second book covering the subject in my lineup, it did a pretty good job of painting a pretty vivid picture of the First and only "successful" Crusade, with emphasis on Duke Godfrey’s trajectory of alleged gallantry and supposed heroism, and eventually, becoming the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem.
The author set out from Chateau Bouillon, Duke Godfrey's home in Belgium, with a riding companion, Sara, and two horses, including an Ardennes, the breed of horse a knight would've taken to fight for the Holy Land. What unfolds is a long and arduous journey full of interesting experiences, some outright hilarious (mostly those involving the horses), some amazing and some infuriating. I really enjoyed the majority of what I read.
Now, as good as the book was, and aside from the entire concept of the Crusades being offensive and infuriating to me, I did find a few things a little irritating about Tim Severin's Crusader.
To start, I hated that the author made a lot of choices that were detrimental to the horses' health, at times severely so. Basically, if you're an animal lover, this is a hard read (I am, and it was really, really hard).
My next qualm was not so much the fact the author was critical of the people he came across in his travels, most of whom offered endless hospitality, even when they had so little to give--it's okay to have opinions of people no matter how good they are to you--, but rather how harsh he was with his criticisms of them that were not relevant to anything. For example, he described the people in a Turkish village as having "grotesque features," and suggested they were "inbred," which is awfully and unnecessarily mean. My next qualm is the author's relentless attempt to dispel the gruesomeness and grotesqueness of the motivations of most (if not all) of the crusaders for plunder and riches, looking for any bit that might make them sound more pious and motivated by religious fervor than they proved themselves to be...it just felt like grasping at straws to make sure he takes every chance to sanitize the unsavory side of those who walked thousands of miles to get rich and slaughter their way to their soul’s salvation.
All in all, Crusader was a good and interesting read, one that though I had to take breaks from, I came away from with a more vivid picture of a time and place that will forever be affected by the Crusades.
The author set out from Chateau Bouillon, Duke Godfrey's home in Belgium, with a riding companion, Sara, and two horses, including an Ardennes, the breed of horse a knight would've taken to fight for the Holy Land. What unfolds is a long and arduous journey full of interesting experiences, some outright hilarious (mostly those involving the horses), some amazing and some infuriating. I really enjoyed the majority of what I read.
Now, as good as the book was, and aside from the entire concept of the Crusades being offensive and infuriating to me, I did find a few things a little irritating about Tim Severin's Crusader.
To start, I hated that the author made a lot of choices that were detrimental to the horses' health, at times severely so. Basically, if you're an animal lover, this is a hard read (I am, and it was really, really hard).
My next qualm was not so much the fact the author was critical of the people he came across in his travels, most of whom offered endless hospitality, even when they had so little to give--it's okay to have opinions of people no matter how good they are to you--, but rather how harsh he was with his criticisms of them that were not relevant to anything. For example, he described the people in a Turkish village as having "grotesque features," and suggested they were "inbred," which is awfully and unnecessarily mean. My next qualm is the author's relentless attempt to dispel the gruesomeness and grotesqueness of the motivations of most (if not all) of the crusaders for plunder and riches, looking for any bit that might make them sound more pious and motivated by religious fervor than they proved themselves to be...it just felt like grasping at straws to make sure he takes every chance to sanitize the unsavory side of those who walked thousands of miles to get rich and slaughter their way to their soul’s salvation.
All in all, Crusader was a good and interesting read, one that though I had to take breaks from, I came away from with a more vivid picture of a time and place that will forever be affected by the Crusades.
January 19, 2024
I rate this only in comparison to Tim Severin's other work, which are of the highest quality. His travel books employ a three dimensional approach: the historical basis behind his journey, his own journey of discovery and the link between the two worlds. Crusader fails to deliver this interwoven feat to his usual standard. The balance is not quite met, instead a large proportion is dedicated to the character and tribulations of his horse companions. If you have an equine passion then you will find lots to keep you enthralled but it comes at the expense of the historical narrative. For large tracts, the purpose of the book, namely following in the tracks of Duke Geoffrey, gets buried, before re-emerging in a flurry. All that said, there is much to be recommended and as with every journey taken in Severin's company, you come away enriched with a deeper understanding of what it really took to achieve the near impossible in past times
January 1, 2022
Of all Time Severin's explorations this was the most intriguing for me. The impact of this Crusade is still felt in the region today.
Tim and Sarah's recreation of the overland journey is full of atmosphere, endurance, human foible and humour.
Tim and Sarah's recreation of the overland journey is full of atmosphere, endurance, human foible and humour.
November 8, 2023
A good book, took me a while to get into it, I've little interest in animals and there is a lot about selecting the horses, kit, shoes etc to start with. The book splits between the history of the First Crusade and Tim and his colleague's recreation of the trip. It was written and set in the late 1980's, much of Europe, West and East Germany, Yugoslavia etc is long gone and seems much more than 35 years ago.
The book gives a huge sense of the weather, distance and terrain they (and the Fist Crusade) travelled, it really does seem almost impossibly tough and again for geopolitical reasons the journey would be impossible today across Turkey, through Syria into Israel.
Lots of odd and interesting characters, some perhaps a little cartoonishly drawn, but the author really gives a sense of the friendliness and generosity of many people in many countries and communities they meet
The book gives a huge sense of the weather, distance and terrain they (and the Fist Crusade) travelled, it really does seem almost impossibly tough and again for geopolitical reasons the journey would be impossible today across Turkey, through Syria into Israel.
Lots of odd and interesting characters, some perhaps a little cartoonishly drawn, but the author really gives a sense of the friendliness and generosity of many people in many countries and communities they meet
July 18, 2015
Tm Severin buys a horse in Ireland and one in France and he and his kick-ass friend Sarah follow the trail of one of the First Crusaders all the way to Jerusalem, plodding on through forests, mountains, rain, cold and heat, camping out wherever they can find room for the night, treating saddle sores and dealing with the even-then difficult politics of Turkey/Syria/Jordan/Israel. Very well-written and interesting account both of their modern-day journey on horseback and recounting of how the Crusaders must have felt.
December 19, 2008
This is a good, reliable Tim Severin adventure. It's not as gripping as I remeber some of his sea-voyages being, but the information he imparts and the practical insights into the issues the Crusader's would have faced really appeal to me.
This is practical / experimental history and I personally beleive there needs to be much more like it.
This is practical / experimental history and I personally beleive there needs to be much more like it.
September 18, 2015
The author sets out to follow the path of the First Crusade to the Jerusalem on horseback. In an Irish bar he meets a girl, Sarah, who knows horses and ends up accompanying him on his entire journey. The book is a perfect mix of the history of the First Crusade along with the adventures of Sarah, Tim and their horses as they ride through Europe, Turkey, Syria and Israel. I enjoyed the book.
April 13, 2016
Interesting and well written, but not as compelling as his sea voyages.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews