Siege

by Richard Foreman

The First Book One "A really good read for anyone interested in the First Crusade. Tight and fast-paced, the author's beguiling sense of setting combines with strong characterisation to make Siege a rollicking yarn." Richard Woodman, author of Sword of State. 1098. The crusader army still stands outside Antioch. Starving. Deserting. An enemy force, led by Kerbogha of Mosul, is days away from relieving the walled city. Bohemond of Taranto calls upon the English knight, Edward Kemp, to meet with an agent, who is willing to provide the Norman prince with access to Antioch. But Bohemond is not alone in wishing to capture and lay claim to the prize. Edward must contend with enemies in his own camp. Should the knight's mission fail, then so may the entire campaign. Antioch must fall. Recommended for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Michael Jecks and Conn Iggulden. Siege is the first book in a new series, set during the First Crusade, by bestselling historical novelist Richard Foreman. 'The scenes of battle and clash of cultures are brilliantly depicted.' Jemahl Evans, author of Warrior. "Richard Foreman is a writer who is as happy in Roman Britain as he is in Medieval Antioch, as this story shows... Richard Foreman has a real skill at depicting men at arms and their fighting. He has a terse style that is utterly in keeping with the subject matter and the players he writes about. This is a fast-paced action story that is a natural successor to the 39 Steps and Sharpe series itself! A great, fun read. Highly recommended!" Michael Jecks, author of Pilgrim's War. Author Richard Foreman is the bestselling author of numerous historical series set during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, including the Augustus Caesar books, Sword of Empire and Sword of Rome. He is also the author Warsaw, The Complete Innings and Band of Brothers, a series charting the story of Henry V and the Agincourt campaign. Richard writes modern thrillers too, under the pseudonym of Thomas Waugh. He is a judge for the HWA Crowns and the founder of the London History Festival. He lives in London. "Siege is a very human story, set amongst the mess and destruction of a mad war. The author tells a swift, enthralling tale, enriched with historical detail and believable, engaging characters. Highly recommend." J. A. Ironside, author of The King's Knight. Praise for Richard Foreman's Books. Spies of Rome. "A masterful and evocative depiction of a fledgling imperial Rome fraught with intrigue and at war with itself. The story and characters are as striking as the graffiti that adorns the violent city’s walls during Augustus' rise." Steven Veerapen, author of The Abbey Close. "An arresting opening that leads into a thoroughly gripping story. Impressive research and understanding of the period allows Richard Foreman to move so seamlessly and effectively from historical epic to historical detective thriller. A must read for fans of Steven Saylor." Peter Tonkin, author of The Ides.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I don't know very much about the first crusade but Foreman provides a fast paced and immersive experience in Siege. What could become a bewildering slew of similar battles is deftly handled, peeling back to reveal the motives of the crusaders - pecuniary, religious, political, the need for fame and adventure. The differing povs provide added insight into cultural clashes, as rival nations jostle for a foothold in the Holy Land.

Perhaps the most engaging of the viewpoints is that of Edward Kemp, a lowborn English knight, long since sclerosed to the glories of war and now concerned only with making some money and being on the winning side. However Edward has reached a reflective age and is tiring of war for its own sake. The lure of England and a home of his own has never been so powerful.

Thomas, a young and God fearing clerk, was another engaging character. Representing the true believer in the holy war, Thomas has had his head turned by tales of chivalry and is about to see the kraken for himself. He makes an interesting counterpoint to the jaded Kemp.

Emma, the proprietress of the travelling brothel, manages to be human and sharp witted without falling foul of the prostitute with a heart of gold trope. And I have to admit to deriving a perverse enjoyment from the weaselly nobleman, Girard's pov too. The point being that no one on this crusade is really in the right (not to modern sensibilities at least) but there are definitely heroes and villains amongst the two invading armies.

Siege is a very human story, set amongst the mess and destruction of a mad war. The author tells a swift, enthralling tale, enriched with historical detail and believable, engaging characters. Highly recommend.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Army of God has turned into the army of God Help Us..."

It began with an inspirational speech. Pope Urban II called all of the Christians of Europe to reclaim the Holy Lands from the Muslims. "Deus vult," Urban had cried. "God wills it." Glory and riches, in this life, and the next, would be the reward to those brave enough to wrestle the Holy Sepulchre from the Saracens.

"Deus vult," he had cried. "Deus vult."

And so it seemed God had indeed willed it. Until the day His army looked upon the high fortified walls of the City of Antioch. It was then that His soldiers began to doubt the sincerity of Pope Urban II's words.

From a contest between Raymond's nephew and a knight of Bohemond's to the breaching of the walls of Antioch, Siege (The First Crusade, Book 1) by Richard Foreman is the most compelling historical fiction book I have ever read about the Crusades. Like a snapshot in time, Foreman has thrown his readers into the desperate situation facing the Crusaders as they came upon a colossal stumbling block in their bid to retake the Holy Lands.

With a narrative that is almost ornate in the telling and with an astoundingly ambitious, yet very successful, plot, Foreman has presented a book that lovers of great historical fiction can get very excited about. Not only is Siege vastly entertaining, but it is also next to impossible to put down. One more page became one more chapter. This is the kind of book that makes a reader forgo sleep to finish.

The scope of the historical detail in this book has to be commended. Foreman has captured not only the desperation of the soldiers as food becomes scarce and starvation sets in but also the political intricacy and rivalry of men such as Bohemond and Raymond. Foreman has, it seems, an intuitive understanding of what makes history worth reading.

The crusading army was meant to be one of unity, but all men are ambitious, especially when it comes to peer esteem and wealth. The rivalry and the ambitions of the nobles who took up the Cross have been wonderfully explored in this book. Foreman concentrates on two rival companies.The first company is led by Bohemond of Otranto, and the second, by Raymond of Toulouse. Foreman demonstrates this rivalry between Bohemond and Raymond with great skill and diligence. Both men want to best the other — they both want to be victorious, although whether that was for God's sake or their own is open to debate.

Bohemond is portrayed as a man who commands the respect of his men. Men such as Edward Kemp and Thomas Devin — the protagonists in this story. Bohemond is also a very shrewd politician, as well as a military leader. He comes across as a very intelligent, and very knowledgeable commander. It seems that Foreman has brought Bohemond back from the dead and has breathed new life into him.

Raymond of Toulouse, as history tells us, was a very religious man who wished to die with honour in the Holy Lands. He was also extremely ambitious, and he wanted to be remembered. Foreman has given his readers a man who is more determined to vanquish Bohemond than to defeat the actual enemy, which I thought was an interesting take on this man's character and it was one that certainly helped to drive the story forward.

The protagonists of this book are two very different, and yet very wonderful men. Edward Kempt is a man who has suffered much during his life. He isn't a religious man at all. He sees what happened to him as a child as God's fault — God did nothing to stop the atrocities, or his parents murder. Edward is of the same mind as the seriousness of this siege takes hold. Men are starving. Men are dying because there is not enough food. Whose fault could this be but God's? They are, after all, fighting His war. Throughout this book, Edward struggles with his relationship with God, which I thought was endlessly fascinating. Also, Edward isn't in this fight because he wants to liberate the Holy Lands — he wants to earn enough money so he can buy a cottage, retire, get married, and raise a family. When you think of the Crusades, you think of men fighting under the banner of God, but Foreman reminds us with his characterisation of Edward that there were men whose swords were hired — they were not fighting for God, they were fighting for money. I thought Edward's depiction was fabulous. I really enjoyed reading about him.

My favourite character in this book is, without a doubt, Thomas Devin. Thomas is a profoundly pious young man who Edward calls a Holy Fool, because of his endless charity. Thomas would willingly starve to death if he could help someone else to live. He is a lamb amongst ravenous wolves, and I did fear for his safety on more than one occasion. However, like all lambs, there is a thread of a lion inside of Thomas, which is waiting to burst free and show the world what kind of man he truly is. I adored everything about Thomas, he makes solemn promises not only to God, but to his fellow man, and he will not break those promises, no matter what. He is a man that is fit to bursting with integrity, and I think this is what made him particularly appealing. Siege, is a story of desperate men, and an equally frantic battle to take control of the city. Thomas is a breath of fresh air in a world torn asunder by war.

As with any campaign during this era, and indeed, right up to very modern warfare, it was common for the army to have followers, be that the wives of the men, or prostitutes hoping to make some money from soldiers so far away from home. Foreman has given us the latter in Emma. Emma's war is not like her lover, Edward's, and nor is it like Thomas'. But I think it was a genius move by Foreman to add Emma into this story of war and ambition, for his readers get to witness the Siege of Antioch from a completely different perspective of that of a soldier or a knight. Emma's position is precarious — if the Crusaders lose, then she could end up dead or perhaps worse, a slave. This insight, I thought made this book scrumptiously balanced and gave an excellent depiction of what life may have been like for those who followed the army.

Siege (The First Crusade, Book 1) by Richard Foreman is a monumental work of scholarship. This book is bold, brutal and brilliant. I cannot wait to read Book 2 of what promises to be an irresistible series.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Koit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this dull and unimaginative, not to mention basic in its treatment of the Siege of Antioch. While the title does lead one to think about Antioch with the given context, this work would have proceeded more smoothly had the author started with how the siege came about. Instead, there are numerous veiled references to past events which can make the plot difficult to understand for people new to the time and period.

Our protagonists, meanwhile, are an English knight, an English scholar, and a Welsh bowman. The main antagonist is a Provencal knight, venal and base in all his doings while thinking themself the top of the world. Bohemund of Taranto and Raymond of Toulouse are the leaders of the opposing Christian factions who have the abovementioned protagonists and antagonists in their employ. Most of the plot is taken up by pointless plotting between either side to do the other one over.

While all of this is going on, Bohemund’s plot to take over Antioch has partial limelight though the situation where the Crusaders find themselves isn’t properly described. The advancing Muslim army is also not put into its context which can make things even more difficult to understand.

Overall, I found this below expectations, and am very unlikely to continue with the series. I’m also sure a much better book could be written about these events.

This review was originally posted on my blog.

[Amy McElroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the first in the series this book introduces the main individuals and builds a picture of the events leading to the crusade and the siege of Antioch.

The story contains some great fighting scenes and comradeship.This isn't just a story about fighting it also highlights the experiences of the those who joined the crusade, whether as pilgrims or combatants in search of wealth and the hardships they experienced during the siege of Antioch.
It's a fantastic depiction of the First Crusade based on real events woven with fiction, memorable characters and vivid portrayals of battle and circumstances.

[John Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror upon horror, in the name of God!

This was an exceptional tale, ranging from a duplicitous Byzantine emperor, through squabbling Frankish "princes" and pious priests, to the lowly born soldiers and pathetic camp followers. All involved in the murderous and ill defined first crusade. The carnage that followed the successful siege of Antioch was hard to stomach but everything can be forgiven if God is on your side. An unmissable read!

[peter birkinshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siege

An excellent read from start to finish, having read many fiction book on the crusades this was one of the best that wills the reader to the next page, no long winded monologue on needless backgrounds of various characters, recommend to all crusader fans.

[Tony Docherty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Siege

I started this book thinking this could be good ,but as I read on, there was too many characters loosing track of the story and the main character. Very disappointed, I did not continue, not an enjoyable read