The Third Crusade: A Journey of Faith and Vengeance

Extract

[...] Under the banner of Philip Augustus, Jean de La Trémoille, joined my men for a journey of adventure, faith, and mingled vengeance, where we sought, more than anything else, the salvation of our souls. We met, in the ports and on the coasts, valiant knights, sharing bread and speaking other languages, having, like us, donned armor to avenge our Creator God. The banners of the houses of England and the German Empire floated beside us, in a same surge of fraternity. The horses and men, too, communed, fraternal. [...]

[...] And despite our efforts and our martial prowess, after many assaults, only a few cities were retaken, including Saint John of Acre, in 1191, whose long siege was as much a spiritual as a physical ordeal. We saw men of faith, once galvanized by courage, exhort us to abandon, worn down by fatigue and discouragement. Our forces dwindled and our resistance with them. Yet, we did not give up. A few victories allowed us to hold on, and we emerged from these deadly battles stronger, ready to swoop down again one day on this blood-soaked land. Jerusalem remains, for a time yet, Muslim in its History. [...]