Siege

Name: Siege
Rating: 4 (588 reviews)

by Richard Foreman Book 1 in the The First Crusade series.

First published 2019

Amazon

4.0(588)

In 1098 the First Crusade remains trapped outside Antioch. Hunger and desertion weaken the army while Kerbogha of Mosul approaches with a relief force. Bohemond of Taranto learns that an agent inside the city may provide access through the walls and sends the fictional English knight Edward Kemp to arrange the betrayal. Rival crusader leaders, however, also understand that possession of Antioch will determine power after victory.

Kemp must negotiate with enemies in both camps while the army’s survival depends upon secrecy and speed. The novel presents the siege not as a single religious enterprise but as a coalition divided by language, ambition and competing claims. Capturing the city may save the crusade, yet the method used to take it ensures that the struggle over Antioch will continue among the victors.