Deus Lo Volt!: A Chronicle of the Crusades

Description

The year is 1095. Thousands of men, including many of the leaders of the Christian world, have assembled in a meadow in France near Clermont. Pope Urban appeals for the liberation of Jerusalem and the people shout, "Deus lo volt!", "God Wills It!" The cry is taken up, echoes forth, and is carried on. The crusades have begun. Wave upon wave of Christian pilgrims assault the growing power of the Muslims in the Holy Land and will do so for the next two hundred years. Most able men become soldiers of the Cross, and many of their women fight alongside them. It is a time of great adventure, of great exploration and cultural change. Uniting Christian Europe in a common cause, the crusades defined forever the spirit of the West.

Evan S. Connell, recognised as one of the most important voices in American literature, was the author of seventeen books, including Mrs Bridge, Mr Bridge and the bestselling Son of the Morning Star, his account of Custer's final battle at the Little Big Horn, and his book about the crusades, Deus lo Volt! In 2009 he was nominated for the Man Booker international prize. He lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico and died in 2010, aged 88.

'A vivid narrative...this book captures the pungent flavour of the period and makes for an exciting and sometimes shocking read.' Lawrence James, Daily Mail