Via Crucis: A Romance of the Second Crusade

by F. Marion Crawford

Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels, especially those set in Italy, and for his classic weird and fantastic stories.

Genres: Historical Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1899

About the author

Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels. He was born at Bagni di Lucca, Italy. In 1879 he went to India, where he studied Sanskrit and edited the Allahabad Indian Herald. Returning to America he continued to study Sanskrit at Harvard University for a year, contributed to various periodicals, and in 1882 produced his first novel, Mr Isaacs. This book had an immediate success, and its author's promise was confirmed by the publication of Doctor Claudius: A True Story (1883). After a brief residence in New York and Boston, in 1883 he returned to Italy, where he made his permanent home. He also published the historical works, Ave Roma Immortalis (1898), Rulers of the South (1900) renamed Sicily, Calabria and Malta in 1904, and Gleanings from Venetian History (1905). The Saracinesca series is perhaps known to be his best work, with the third in the series, Don Orsino, set against the background of a real estate bubble, told with effective concision. A fourth book in the series, Corleone, was the first major treatment of the Mafia in literature.

Reviews

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and generally edifying and entertaining. Of course one must keep in mind that this is a historical romance (in the proper, medieval sense of romance), historical fiction, so it frequently departs from what is known or what could reasonably be guessed from the historical record. King Louis VII was nowhere near as pious as he is portrayed in this book, and was never "monkish," though he was indeed an ineffectual, poor military leader. The main character, an English knight named Gilbert Warde, of course never existed, and is very loosely based on the historical Aquitanian knight Geoffrey de Rancon. But that's why it's called historical "fiction."

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

✒️ Powerful historical fiction novel that takes place during the Second Crusade. It is a wildly beautiful and an intelligently written work that feeds the senses. The dialogue is believable. If more books were written in this manner today, it would help immensely in many ways. I enjoyed it!

📕Published — 1899. In the public domain.

જ⁀🟢Read e-book version on ρ𝕣ꪮ𝕛ꫀᥴ𝕥 ᧁꪊ𝕥ꫀꪀ᥇ꫀ𝕣ᧁ.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful entertaining listening 🎶😆

Another will written British and French romance, family relationships during the crusades short story by F. Marion Crawford about love, war, the church ⛪, and political abuse. I would recommend this novella to readers of historical novels. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of eye damage because of shingles. 🏡🔰🏰🗼 2022