Knight With Armour

<p>In the summer of 1096 a penniless Norman knight named Roger de Bodeham takes the cross and joins the great pilgrimage to free Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Landless ambitious and seeking both fortune and redemption Roger embarks on a grueling journey across Europe and into the heart of the Byzantine Empire where Western knights clash with Greek cunning Eastern intrigue and unfamiliar ways of war.</p><p>As Roger marches with the armies of the First Crusade he encounters the harsh realities of medieval warfare: starvation disease treacherous terrain and the constant threat of Turkish ambush. The glittering promise of holy glory and rich plunder fades quickly against the backdrop of brutal sieges political maneuvering among ambitious Crusader lords and the increasingly fraught relationship between the Latin knights and their reluctant sophisticated Byzantine allies.</p><p>From the walls of Nicaea to the scorching siege of Antioch and the final push toward Jerusalem Roger must navigate not only the battlefield but also the dangerous currents of loyalty ambition and simple survival. Alfred Duggan brings meticulous historical detail and psychological insight to this vivid portrait of the First Crusade stripping away romantic legend to reveal the gritty complicated truth of one of history's most legendary and transformative military campaigns.</p>