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Crusade
Two boys, two faiths, one unholy war—two boys from opposing worlds come face to face in a thought-provoking historical adventure When Adam’s mother dies unconfessed, he pledges to save her soul with dust from the Holy Land. Employed as a dog-boy for the local knight, Adam grabs the chance to join the Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. He burns with determination to strike down the infidel enemy. Salim, a merchant’s son, is leading an uneventful life in the port of Acre—until news arrives that a Crusader attack is imminent. To keep Salim safe, his father buys him an apprenticeship with an esteemed traveling doctor. But Salim’s employment leads him to the heart of Sultan Saladin’s camp—and into battle against the barbaric and unholy invaders.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
17 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Laird
214 books197 followersLaird was born in New Zealand in 1943, the fourth of five children. Her father was a ship's surgeon; both he and Laird's mother were Scottish. In 1945, Laird and her family returned to Britain and she grew up in South London, where she was educated at Croydon High School.
When she was eighteen, Laird started teaching at a school in Malaysia. She decided to continue her adventurous life, even though she was bitten by a poisonous snake and went down with typhoid.
After attending the university in Bristol, Laird began teaching English in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She and a friend would hire mules and go into remote areas in the holidays.
After a while at Edinburgh University, Laird worked in India for a summer. During travel, she met her future husband, David McDowall, who she said was very kind to her when she was airsick on a plane. The couple were married in 1975 and have two sons, Angus and William.
Laird has also visited Iraq and Lebanon. She claims to dislike snakes, porridge and being cold but enjoys very dark chocolate, Mozart, reading and playing the violin in the Iraq Symphony Orchestra.
She currently lives in Richmond, London with her husband.
When she was eighteen, Laird started teaching at a school in Malaysia. She decided to continue her adventurous life, even though she was bitten by a poisonous snake and went down with typhoid.
After attending the university in Bristol, Laird began teaching English in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She and a friend would hire mules and go into remote areas in the holidays.
After a while at Edinburgh University, Laird worked in India for a summer. During travel, she met her future husband, David McDowall, who she said was very kind to her when she was airsick on a plane. The couple were married in 1975 and have two sons, Angus and William.
Laird has also visited Iraq and Lebanon. She claims to dislike snakes, porridge and being cold but enjoys very dark chocolate, Mozart, reading and playing the violin in the Iraq Symphony Orchestra.
She currently lives in Richmond, London with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 29, 2025
This reread did not disappoint.
I love Elizabeth Laird’s books because of how she takes real world experiences and turns them into such vivid and tangible stories that you can’t help but sink into her tales, feeling as if you were right there in the moment.
Crusade is the story of two boys, Salim and Adam and their respective journeys into unlocking new perspectives and truths not only about themselves, but about the world and what they thought they knew to be true.
Salim is a Muslim boy with a limp who finds himself apprenticed to a Jewish doctor with whom he flees Acre, his hometown, at the coming of the Franks and ends up with Sultan Saladin’s army who are mobilising to stop the Franks from taking over Jerusalem once again.
Adam, an orphan boy enslaved to a local lord, joins the call to arms in a moment of desperation to save his mother’s soul from hell and to save Jerusalem from the barbaric infidels who are disrespecting Jesus Christ and Mary by destroying churches, tearing down crosses amongst other atrocities.
As you can see from the pre-read, both sides hold a very different view of the history of Jerusalem and it is with this history and these stories in mind that this story takes place.
The main theme of this book is so important and so relevant today. Elizabeth Laird shows us how there are always two sides to every story, every person and every war. Salim and Adam start off with numerous misconceptions about the other side and yet, when the armies come face to face, they realise that across the no-man’s land where the terrifying and evil soldiers wait, there are just ordinary people like them. People with mothers and fathers, who have hopes, dreams and aspirations.
Time and time again this is something people forget. Even now with what’s going on in Palestine, the media tries its utmost to dehumanise them because once you stop seeing people, once you stop caring that they are men, women and children just like you, then what will you care that they are being massacred? That they have no rights, no food, no water, no shelter and that their lives consist of burying their loved ones and wondering if today is their last day alive. On the flip side, not every Jew is a bad person, or wishes evil upon innocents and holding that view is by no means just.
It’s this message that I find most beautiful in Crusade and I love how it is reinforced in so many different instances. When Salim and Adam see the other’s camp and what the effect of war is on so many civilians caught in the crossfire. When Saladin openly expresses admiration for the Franks for despite their (in his eyes) misguidedance, the courage, determination and ferocity with which they fight deserves acknowledgement. When the Franks are introduced to the kindness, compassion and humanity, not just from an Islamic point of view but from one man to another, that an important knight defends the ‘infidels’ to his own side.
This is an inexpressibly important thing for us all to hold in our hearts and minds as we advance into a world that will throw people aside, use them for their own greed and purpose or no only keep quiet on, but profit from the genocide of innocent people.
On a separate and lighter note, the characters in this book are greattt. They feel so real and there are many touching, heartfelt, and on occasion, sad moments that make you appreciate the relationships they have with each other. One in particular is sooo endearing and you can’t help but smile at the things they say.
All in all and most importantly, you don’t have to be a hero to be known and loved. You just need to be a good person and treat people justly, regardless of who they are.
__________________________________
I loved this book so much when I read it for the first time and just saw it on my shelf and decided a reread is longg overdue
A thousand years ago, a storm swept through Europe. Preachers travelled through every land, stirring the people up to leave their farms, cottages and castles and embark on a great crusade to Palestine. They wanted to capture the city of Jerusalem, Christianity’s most holy site.
The people who lived in Palestine were mostly Muslim, but there were smaller groups of Jews and Eastern Christians too. They had all lived peacefully alongside each other for centuries, and Jerusalem was a holy city to all of them.
The first Crusaders thought that Muslims and Jews were evil, and deserved to be killed. The people of Palestine feared the Crusaders, because they were so violent, but despised them too for their barbaric,
primitive ways. They called all Europeans ‘Franks’. At first the Crusaders were victorious and captured Jerusalem, killing every Muslim and Jew that fell into their hands. They set up a Christian
kingdom and ruled for a hundred years. But then a great Muslim prince, the Sultan Saladin, came to power. He drove the Crusaders out of Jerusalem, and took back most of the cities on the coast as well, including the city of Acre.
When this news reached Europe, the call to recapture Jerusalem rang out again in every town and village, and people began once more to flock to the banners of Crusade . . .
I love Elizabeth Laird’s books because of how she takes real world experiences and turns them into such vivid and tangible stories that you can’t help but sink into her tales, feeling as if you were right there in the moment.
Crusade is the story of two boys, Salim and Adam and their respective journeys into unlocking new perspectives and truths not only about themselves, but about the world and what they thought they knew to be true.
Salim is a Muslim boy with a limp who finds himself apprenticed to a Jewish doctor with whom he flees Acre, his hometown, at the coming of the Franks and ends up with Sultan Saladin’s army who are mobilising to stop the Franks from taking over Jerusalem once again.
Adam, an orphan boy enslaved to a local lord, joins the call to arms in a moment of desperation to save his mother’s soul from hell and to save Jerusalem from the barbaric infidels who are disrespecting Jesus Christ and Mary by destroying churches, tearing down crosses amongst other atrocities.
As you can see from the pre-read, both sides hold a very different view of the history of Jerusalem and it is with this history and these stories in mind that this story takes place.
The main theme of this book is so important and so relevant today. Elizabeth Laird shows us how there are always two sides to every story, every person and every war. Salim and Adam start off with numerous misconceptions about the other side and yet, when the armies come face to face, they realise that across the no-man’s land where the terrifying and evil soldiers wait, there are just ordinary people like them. People with mothers and fathers, who have hopes, dreams and aspirations.
Time and time again this is something people forget. Even now with what’s going on in Palestine, the media tries its utmost to dehumanise them because once you stop seeing people, once you stop caring that they are men, women and children just like you, then what will you care that they are being massacred? That they have no rights, no food, no water, no shelter and that their lives consist of burying their loved ones and wondering if today is their last day alive. On the flip side, not every Jew is a bad person, or wishes evil upon innocents and holding that view is by no means just.
It’s this message that I find most beautiful in Crusade and I love how it is reinforced in so many different instances. When Salim and Adam see the other’s camp and what the effect of war is on so many civilians caught in the crossfire. When Saladin openly expresses admiration for the Franks for despite their (in his eyes) misguidedance, the courage, determination and ferocity with which they fight deserves acknowledgement. When the Franks are introduced to the kindness, compassion and humanity, not just from an Islamic point of view but from one man to another, that an important knight defends the ‘infidels’ to his own side.
This is an inexpressibly important thing for us all to hold in our hearts and minds as we advance into a world that will throw people aside, use them for their own greed and purpose or no only keep quiet on, but profit from the genocide of innocent people.
On a separate and lighter note, the characters in this book are greattt. They feel so real and there are many touching, heartfelt, and on occasion, sad moments that make you appreciate the relationships they have with each other. One in particular is sooo endearing and you can’t help but smile at the things they say.
All in all and most importantly, you don’t have to be a hero to be known and loved. You just need to be a good person and treat people justly, regardless of who they are.
__________________________________
I loved this book so much when I read it for the first time and just saw it on my shelf and decided a reread is longg overdue
A thousand years ago, a storm swept through Europe. Preachers travelled through every land, stirring the people up to leave their farms, cottages and castles and embark on a great crusade to Palestine. They wanted to capture the city of Jerusalem, Christianity’s most holy site.
The people who lived in Palestine were mostly Muslim, but there were smaller groups of Jews and Eastern Christians too. They had all lived peacefully alongside each other for centuries, and Jerusalem was a holy city to all of them.
The first Crusaders thought that Muslims and Jews were evil, and deserved to be killed. The people of Palestine feared the Crusaders, because they were so violent, but despised them too for their barbaric,
primitive ways. They called all Europeans ‘Franks’. At first the Crusaders were victorious and captured Jerusalem, killing every Muslim and Jew that fell into their hands. They set up a Christian
kingdom and ruled for a hundred years. But then a great Muslim prince, the Sultan Saladin, came to power. He drove the Crusaders out of Jerusalem, and took back most of the cities on the coast as well, including the city of Acre.
When this news reached Europe, the call to recapture Jerusalem rang out again in every town and village, and people began once more to flock to the banners of Crusade . . .
July 30, 2015
To me, this book was like a chess match between two beginners. We have two leaders at the very top, controlling what happens, religious and secular leaders on both sides further down in power but still strong, and a lot of pawns who can only control one square around them. They are on opposite sides of the board, but the sides are exactly alike.
And the game slogs on, and on, and on.
Two boys, who, at first glance, are as opposite as can be, one a serf in England, the other a merchant’s son in the Holy Land, come come crashing into each other due to the decisions of the family, lords, religious leaders, rulers, capitalists, and other adults around them who control their lives, both on purpose and just by way of being caught in the cultural cross-fire.
Even if you don’t know the history of the third crusade, the tension of the book is very high as it quickly becomes obvious that Very Bad Things Are Going To Happen. Luckily, our protagonists are smart enough to know when to take action and when to lie low, so the story doesn’t end on a completely low note, despite the overall depressing theme that xenophobia causes a lot of needless death.
My favorite part was when variations of the same prayer - "Please Lord let this crazy plan work" - is prayed by three members of three different faiths in Arabic, Hebrew and Latin, in a moment of true diversity in the middle of a Die Hard-type action scene.
My advice to middle school teachers – have your students read this before teaching a unit on modern history – remind students that (outside of the United States) people have long memories and wars never happen in a vacuum…
January 29, 2018
Read with my 10 year old son.
The novels two main protagonists are Salim, a Palestinian boy in Acre, apprenticed to the wonderful Dr Musa, and Adam an orphaned English serf and the "dog boy" of his master. Adam joins King Richard's crusade in a moment of religious fervour, whereas Salim and the doctor are co-opted by the Saracen troops. Their stories dovetail very satisfyingly.
This is a very interesting historical perspective, cleverly portraying the best and worst of both sides in war and certainly an illuminating version of history for a child to think on. There is plenty of action and some very funny moments as well as tragedy and the horrors of war. My son loved it, he would give it 5 stars and recommends it highly.
The novels two main protagonists are Salim, a Palestinian boy in Acre, apprenticed to the wonderful Dr Musa, and Adam an orphaned English serf and the "dog boy" of his master. Adam joins King Richard's crusade in a moment of religious fervour, whereas Salim and the doctor are co-opted by the Saracen troops. Their stories dovetail very satisfyingly.
This is a very interesting historical perspective, cleverly portraying the best and worst of both sides in war and certainly an illuminating version of history for a child to think on. There is plenty of action and some very funny moments as well as tragedy and the horrors of war. My son loved it, he would give it 5 stars and recommends it highly.
September 5, 2016
This book is amazing, it draws you to the depth of war. Two boys find themselves in the middle of war. Adam, from England joins the crusades, working for the king to save his mother from purgatory because she died unconfessed.
Salim, a merchant's son, has a crippled leg and his father organizes for him to become a doctor's apprentice so that he can get away from the city, which is about to be laid under siege. When the siege starts, his family is trapped with no food in the slowly dying city and he comes straight to the Sultan himself in service with the doctor.
Both Adam and Salim are determined to win this war in order to save their families.
Salim, a merchant's son, has a crippled leg and his father organizes for him to become a doctor's apprentice so that he can get away from the city, which is about to be laid under siege. When the siege starts, his family is trapped with no food in the slowly dying city and he comes straight to the Sultan himself in service with the doctor.
Both Adam and Salim are determined to win this war in order to save their families.
December 2, 2017
A good story for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the European crusades into the Holy Land in the 1098-1291 period. This one is about the Third Crusade and shows perspectives of various participants very well. Not surprisingly, this story portrays the invaders as brash and barbaric.
October 20, 2020
An interesting read- a brilliant read in fact. Five out of five stars
November 18, 2020
Five stars. Got it as a birthday present for my niece and decided to read to see was it appropriate and it was. A big thumbs up.u
January 17, 2023
Crusade by Elizabeth Laird is a strange book. It centers on the lives of two young boys living on opposite sides of the third crusade. Salim, the son of a merchant in the port city of Acre, is forced into an apprenticeship with a traveling doctor, and is propelled into a life in a military camp. Adam, the dog boy of a local noble, ventures to the Holy Land to attempt to save his late mother's soul from purgatory. The first criticism I have of the book: Salim's story is just so much more compelling than Adam's for me, and he is a much more in-depth character. Speaking of characters, there are a lot of them! Sadly, many serve only as story-drivers or token characters used to add some more diversity to the cast. There are several characters that had the opportunity to be genuinely interesting, but the book instead focuses on adding more characters for... honestly, I don't know why they just add more characters when you'll be straining to remember what Treuelove Malter's relationship is with Roger Stepesoft so you can make sense of a conversation between Sir Ivo de Chastelfort and Lord Guy de Martel. I liked the authentic feel of the book, and how it was mainly addressing the bitter monotony of camp life rather than over-glorifying major battles. I also appreciate that the book focused exclusively on the siege of Acre, as not to bombard the reader with names and dates of battles. It is generally historically accurate. I would say the book is worth a read if you're into simplified historical fiction, but I still probably wouldn't have finished reading it if I didn't have to for school.
December 2, 2018
This book was in the perspective of two boys of about the ages of 16. One boy was a Christian from England, the other being a Muslim from the town of Acre - not too far from Jerusalem.
It is relatively peaceful in Acre until they are invaded by a crusader army. Salim (the young Muslim boy) escapes before the Acre seige occurs, when his father gets him an apprenticeship with a man called Doctor Musa and together they journey for Jerusalem to escape war. However, instead of escaping war they walk right into it! The Saracen army who are ready to fight the Crusaders off, find young Salon and the doctor and the leader, a man called Saladin, recruits them.
The young Christian boy (Adam) volunteers himself to join the Crusaders as he believes it is what Jesus would've wanted. When he looks at the other army though, he sees a young boy not much different from himself. So many questions are running through his head. Are the Saracens really Antichrists who want to destroy them as sent by the devil? Is he really in the right...?
I quite enjoyed this book, from the battles of bloodshed and pure terror, to the happiness of a simple family reunion. It was definitely something I would recommend to children about aged 12/13. It was interesting to see the different perspectives of the battles, from Crusader to Saracen.
It is relatively peaceful in Acre until they are invaded by a crusader army. Salim (the young Muslim boy) escapes before the Acre seige occurs, when his father gets him an apprenticeship with a man called Doctor Musa and together they journey for Jerusalem to escape war. However, instead of escaping war they walk right into it! The Saracen army who are ready to fight the Crusaders off, find young Salon and the doctor and the leader, a man called Saladin, recruits them.
The young Christian boy (Adam) volunteers himself to join the Crusaders as he believes it is what Jesus would've wanted. When he looks at the other army though, he sees a young boy not much different from himself. So many questions are running through his head. Are the Saracens really Antichrists who want to destroy them as sent by the devil? Is he really in the right...?
I quite enjoyed this book, from the battles of bloodshed and pure terror, to the happiness of a simple family reunion. It was definitely something I would recommend to children about aged 12/13. It was interesting to see the different perspectives of the battles, from Crusader to Saracen.
January 23, 2023
In the novel Crusade, it has a new way of showing two perspectives into one, which I find really interesting, and a fun way of seeing the differences. One is a Christian boy named Adam, who is forced to work as the 'Dog Boy' taking care of dogs after losing a loved one, who has not confessed their sins. He goes through the obstacles, fighting his way through to the Holy Land to unrelease his Mother's soul to the gates of heaven. The other main character who is named Salim was separated from his family and travelled with a doctor as his apprentice after being forced to go to safety after he realizes that a war is about to uprise. I found this novel to be interesting, showing bits and bits about about their cultures and religions for example, how they set up to pray, how they eat, and how they communicate. However there are many times where the book would milk some parts making it longer, and a bit boring to read. I also didn't like how many characters were implemented, describing so little of them, making their information obscure. This book overall, is a pretty interesting find, and a great way to learn about the third crusade, as it is pretty historically accurate.
July 2, 2023
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to! It is one of the rare books recently that has exceeded my expectations.
I like books about the Crusades it has always interested me, especially the period with Richard the Lionheart and Saladin which is where this book happened to be set.
It was done from two different perspectives, Adam a 14 year old serf on the crusaders side and Salim, a Muslim boy who ends up being a doctor’s assistant. It is really well done and mostly set around the siege at Acre before Jerusalem. You switch between perspectives and the stories meet later in the book.
I enjoyed it as a book about the crusades it was interesting and a nice read.
4 stars - have had it on my shelf for ages and it exceeded my expectations!
I like books about the Crusades it has always interested me, especially the period with Richard the Lionheart and Saladin which is where this book happened to be set.
It was done from two different perspectives, Adam a 14 year old serf on the crusaders side and Salim, a Muslim boy who ends up being a doctor’s assistant. It is really well done and mostly set around the siege at Acre before Jerusalem. You switch between perspectives and the stories meet later in the book.
I enjoyed it as a book about the crusades it was interesting and a nice read.
4 stars - have had it on my shelf for ages and it exceeded my expectations!
March 10, 2020
Crusade by Elizabeth Laird is a wonderful book about two boys, two religions and two different sides of a war. Crusade is based on a true event and occurs in medieval times. In this book, the reader meets two boys who are different, yet similar. They are both from opposing religions, different countries and almost opposite financial situations. They are similar because they are both young boys trying hard to fit in with society. When war breaks out, Salim is forced to join the war. Adam joins the war to help his mother rest in peace and save her soul, as she has died unconfessed.
The protagonists, Adam and Salim, are both dynamic characters who change their opinions throughout the book. Crusade is about the struggle with identity, society, war and religion. The antagonists of this book are war and religion. Salim and Adam are taught to hate each other and each other’s faiths. War is an antagonist as it scars them, but at the same time it also helps them look at each other without a bias, as they are both going through the same thing.
I loved how realistic the book was. As I read the book, I could see the medieval world developing around me. Crusade is very historically accurate, with characters who actually lived and are remembered today as medieval war heroes. The characters were explained with many details which rendered them quite realistic. I also loved how the chapters switched back and forth, so that one chapter would be about Salim and the next about Adam. I didn’t really dislike the book in any way, but I would not recommend it to readers who enjoy lots of action. Even though the book promises war, for much of the book there is lots of waiting and little action. Medieval wars had lots of waiting, which is why it took so long to get to the action.
Crusade was a beautiful book that I recommend you read. I would recommend this book if you like history, and self-discovery books with a bit of sadness.
The protagonists, Adam and Salim, are both dynamic characters who change their opinions throughout the book. Crusade is about the struggle with identity, society, war and religion. The antagonists of this book are war and religion. Salim and Adam are taught to hate each other and each other’s faiths. War is an antagonist as it scars them, but at the same time it also helps them look at each other without a bias, as they are both going through the same thing.
I loved how realistic the book was. As I read the book, I could see the medieval world developing around me. Crusade is very historically accurate, with characters who actually lived and are remembered today as medieval war heroes. The characters were explained with many details which rendered them quite realistic. I also loved how the chapters switched back and forth, so that one chapter would be about Salim and the next about Adam. I didn’t really dislike the book in any way, but I would not recommend it to readers who enjoy lots of action. Even though the book promises war, for much of the book there is lots of waiting and little action. Medieval wars had lots of waiting, which is why it took so long to get to the action.
Crusade was a beautiful book that I recommend you read. I would recommend this book if you like history, and self-discovery books with a bit of sadness.
September 27, 2017
This book had me engaged from the beginning. It's filled with history, action, and tension. Not to mention the heartwarming relationships forged between unlikely friends and the family drama intertwined into the web. Would be an interesting read-aloud for social studies/history and a recommended historical fiction to high-flying upper elementary and beyond.
March 21, 2018
A beautifully written and astonishingly neutral book about the Crusades.
It's a story of two boys, one Christian, the other Muslim, and a Jew doctor. It's written in such a beautiful manner, one can almost smell the food cooking in the pots and hear the sound of the horses' hooves.
Excellent in every aspect!
It's a story of two boys, one Christian, the other Muslim, and a Jew doctor. It's written in such a beautiful manner, one can almost smell the food cooking in the pots and hear the sound of the horses' hooves.
Excellent in every aspect!
November 5, 2025
A fast paced narrative about the Third Crusade from the Christian and the Muslim perspective with Jewish perspectives embedded. The complexities of this era are well portrayed and the unlikely possibility of boys from the opposing sides becomes friends is cleverly depicted. I certainly enjoyed reading this book.
August 14, 2017
I enjoyed this book a lot! The characters had quite accurate views of the other side at the beginning--I liked how the author didn't shy away from the demonizing both sides were guilty of--and their views were developed well from there. The presence of actual historical figures was also fun.
July 19, 2022
Was much better than I was expecting...I read the Garbage King (by same author) and was pretty disappointed by the numerous grammatical errors (though she did get the setting of Ethiopia right, so...there's that!).
I did quite enjoy (though it isn't my type of book at all!)
I did quite enjoy (though it isn't my type of book at all!)
April 29, 2018
Amazing.
May 10, 2020
So, so, a different point of view provided by 2 boys, glossing over of historical events and plot turns.
April 29, 2023
I took a while to finish reading this book and I am glad I did it. Happy how it ends.
August 13, 2023
A great way for teenagers and young adults to learn something…
.. of this era. It’s a good read, and if you like the Crusades something to while away on holiday.
.. of this era. It’s a good read, and if you like the Crusades something to while away on holiday.
December 23, 2023
Just loved it!An easy read ...couldn't put it down....
Want to read
August 30, 2025no audio
July 31, 2022
A modern version of Ronald Welch's Knight Crusader. If you liked that you will like this. Two boys, one English and one from Acre, both caught up by the Crusade, offer us the chance to explore it from multiple sides. Laird pulls no punches.
February 18, 2015
I find a lot of good books every year, but I generally stay away from historical fiction because the genre is given to tear-jerkers and accounts of improbable romances. Crusade by Elizabeth Laird was different. It’s not sappy - and it tells the story of the two sides very effectively, bringing the capable Crusaders and the educated Muslims to life once more. The book tells the story of Adam, a boy in 12th-century England who joins the crusade as part of the army of Richard the Lionheart, and Salim, a doctor’s apprentice traveling with Saladin’s army after he and his master are forced into service.
One reason I liked the book was because it wasn’t sappy. Some books would then have a five-page, tear-stained, whimper-and-wail burial, but Crusade keeps right on going, without spending too long in the past. When a Mamluk ambush fails and a Mamluk is killed, there is again no funeral and not a lot of moaning. This really helps the overall plot keep moving without getting off course or bogged down in emotion.
Sometimes it moved too quickly. When Adam, Salim and Dr. Musa travel to Jerusalem at the end of the book, their journey is not really described. There is also very little about the journey by sea to Tyre that they take at the beginning. It’s alright to time-skip a bit, but Crusade actually discusses events that happened during the journey through characters’ conversations afterwards. Why can’t the events be described during the journey itself?
Also, it was realistic. The Crusaders are shown as they actually were - capable soldiers trained in the searing cauldron of European warfare, but who are uneducated and poor. The Muslims are educated, prepared, but far too bureaucratic, with troop movements delayed and attacks halted because of this or that. The two sides fight each other, but they are both portrayed sympathetically.
Crusade is a very good book, and one that changed my perspective of historical fiction. I enjoyed it, and I’d like to see more like this. It was particularly refreshing to see the characters portrayed realistically - it made the plot much more believable. I give it a 4.2 of 5.
One reason I liked the book was because it wasn’t sappy. Some books would then have a five-page, tear-stained, whimper-and-wail burial, but Crusade keeps right on going, without spending too long in the past. When a Mamluk ambush fails and a Mamluk is killed, there is again no funeral and not a lot of moaning. This really helps the overall plot keep moving without getting off course or bogged down in emotion.
Sometimes it moved too quickly. When Adam, Salim and Dr. Musa travel to Jerusalem at the end of the book, their journey is not really described. There is also very little about the journey by sea to Tyre that they take at the beginning. It’s alright to time-skip a bit, but Crusade actually discusses events that happened during the journey through characters’ conversations afterwards. Why can’t the events be described during the journey itself?
Also, it was realistic. The Crusaders are shown as they actually were - capable soldiers trained in the searing cauldron of European warfare, but who are uneducated and poor. The Muslims are educated, prepared, but far too bureaucratic, with troop movements delayed and attacks halted because of this or that. The two sides fight each other, but they are both portrayed sympathetically.
Crusade is a very good book, and one that changed my perspective of historical fiction. I enjoyed it, and I’d like to see more like this. It was particularly refreshing to see the characters portrayed realistically - it made the plot much more believable. I give it a 4.2 of 5.
July 27, 2011
I read it as I'm reading all of the Carnegie nominated books with a reading group I set up at the school where I work.
For Young Adult literature I thought it was fantastic. It does offer a postive reprentation of Islam - which I think in the modern day world is much needed - and it also makes a western reader consider the history behind the religious intolerance from which we are still suffering today. I also like the fact that success is achieved when characters of different faiths combine their effort.
However, the reason I think this is such a good book isn't because of my personal wish for people to be taught tolerance. The reason I enjoyed this is because it is incredibly well crafted. The interwoven stories, a technique that can ofter seem confusing or contrived, works really well in this book. Laird's characters have depth and the battle scenes are genuinely exciting.
I hope they make it as a film . . . not least because the Crusaders are rightly portrayed as murdering, ruthless killers and the inhabitant muslims are seen as educated, sensitive and honourable. It would cause all sorts of controversy I can assure you - people don't like historical facts.
The person I'd most advise to read it is, of course, Mr George W. Bush. Being young adult fiction, he may be able to handle the language, and it may make him think twice before describing his illegal invasion of foriegn countries a 'Crusade' in future.
For Young Adult literature I thought it was fantastic. It does offer a postive reprentation of Islam - which I think in the modern day world is much needed - and it also makes a western reader consider the history behind the religious intolerance from which we are still suffering today. I also like the fact that success is achieved when characters of different faiths combine their effort.
However, the reason I think this is such a good book isn't because of my personal wish for people to be taught tolerance. The reason I enjoyed this is because it is incredibly well crafted. The interwoven stories, a technique that can ofter seem confusing or contrived, works really well in this book. Laird's characters have depth and the battle scenes are genuinely exciting.
I hope they make it as a film . . . not least because the Crusaders are rightly portrayed as murdering, ruthless killers and the inhabitant muslims are seen as educated, sensitive and honourable. It would cause all sorts of controversy I can assure you - people don't like historical facts.
The person I'd most advise to read it is, of course, Mr George W. Bush. Being young adult fiction, he may be able to handle the language, and it may make him think twice before describing his illegal invasion of foriegn countries a 'Crusade' in future.
March 10, 2020
Two boys from two cultures are at the heart of this wonderful work from this first class author. Rich in historical setting, we see the crusades through the eyes of an Arabic boy who works for a Jewish doctor, as well as a peasant boy from England eagre to earn the indulgence from the pope to work off his mother's lack of confession to a priest on her deathbed.
Elizabeth Laird does a wonderful job of creating a sense of place in this narrative, and I found myself imagining all the hot arid dustiness, the filth and disease as well as the mre salubrious settings for this book. She also spends a lot of time on the history, and to my inexpert but not totally uninformed point of view, it all seemed spot on.
None of that would matter if the story was lifeless though. Fortunately this book delivers on that score too, and was enjoyable, with plenty to keep the reader interested, including treachery, love, battles and such like. It was perhaps not the best story I have ever read, and for that reason I give it 4 stars. The target young adult audience can enjoy this book very much, but not all would necessarily make their way through it. All the same it rewards everyone who does, being a great story that finishes well and good history too.
Just occasionally I felt that modern attitudes maybe coloured the thought processes of the characters in the books - but that would probably help young adults to enjoy it, rather than hindering.
Elizabeth Laird does a wonderful job of creating a sense of place in this narrative, and I found myself imagining all the hot arid dustiness, the filth and disease as well as the mre salubrious settings for this book. She also spends a lot of time on the history, and to my inexpert but not totally uninformed point of view, it all seemed spot on.
None of that would matter if the story was lifeless though. Fortunately this book delivers on that score too, and was enjoyable, with plenty to keep the reader interested, including treachery, love, battles and such like. It was perhaps not the best story I have ever read, and for that reason I give it 4 stars. The target young adult audience can enjoy this book very much, but not all would necessarily make their way through it. All the same it rewards everyone who does, being a great story that finishes well and good history too.
Just occasionally I felt that modern attitudes maybe coloured the thought processes of the characters in the books - but that would probably help young adults to enjoy it, rather than hindering.
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January 4, 2012In alternating chapters, this historical novel tells the story of Salim, lame son of a merchant in Acre, and Adam, a serf in England. Salim is apprenticed to a Jewish doctor and travels with him to Saladin’s army, while Adam becomes Lord Guy’s dog boy and goes with him on crusade. The two boys meet in chapter 9, after the siege of Acre has gone on for a year and a half. They help each other and learn to get past prejudice. The secondary characters, though, are mostly stereotypes: Sir Ivo the upright soldier, Lord Robert the spoiled, legitimate son of Lord Guy, the villainous, mercenary peddler Jacques, the forbidding but fair Father Jerome. On the Muslim side, Salim’s friend the Mamluk warrior is similarly undeveloped. Straight historical fiction, not pushing any contemporary relevance, the novel does show both sides of the conflict. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Carnegie Medal.
December 29, 2015
I'm sure I'd give this a higher rating if I were reading this as a young person. Laird does a good job of writing a story with the three main characters embracing the three most contentious religions in history -- Islam, Christianity, and Judaism -- and the difficulties with the three getting along. Yet, she elucidates some valid thoughts from each about the others' faith.
What should have been a book to breeze through, it seemed to take me forever. This would be an enlightening book for upper middler-schoolers and lower upper-schoolers to read when studying the Middle Ages.
I have one more of Laird's books to read -- A Little Piece of Ground -- another book with a twelve year old protagonist set in the Middle East.
What should have been a book to breeze through, it seemed to take me forever. This would be an enlightening book for upper middler-schoolers and lower upper-schoolers to read when studying the Middle Ages.
I have one more of Laird's books to read -- A Little Piece of Ground -- another book with a twelve year old protagonist set in the Middle East.
May 24, 2016
When Adam's other dies unconfessed, Adam promises to save her soul from purgatory with dust from the Holy Land. He becomes a dog-boy and rapidly increases his status. Eventually he finds himself with the Franks in the middle of war - against the Muslims.
Meanwhile, a young Muslim boy called Salim is thrust into a journey to Jerusalem with Dr Musa, a peaceful Jewish man to cure the ranks of injuries and diseases.
Soon, Adam and Salim both find they're no different from each other and become friends, though it was considered a sin then. Salim takes Adam on a quest to save a motherless baby's life on Dr Musa's mule, Suweida, where they both learn Muslims, Jews and Franks are all the same apart from their religion.
Meanwhile, a young Muslim boy called Salim is thrust into a journey to Jerusalem with Dr Musa, a peaceful Jewish man to cure the ranks of injuries and diseases.
Soon, Adam and Salim both find they're no different from each other and become friends, though it was considered a sin then. Salim takes Adam on a quest to save a motherless baby's life on Dr Musa's mule, Suweida, where they both learn Muslims, Jews and Franks are all the same apart from their religion.
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