Heeding the Pope’s call for a Crusade against the Turks, Ursa, a young apprentice smith, takes the Cross and swears to free the Holy Land from Infidels. The adventure soon turns into an arduous march across Europe and Africa with death lurking behind every shadow. Ursa suffers through the long siege of Antioch and the taking of Jerusalem. The only good that comes of it all is finding friends. Having fulfilled his oath, Ursa searches for a peaceful place to raise a family.
Having read many heroic tales of the Crusades, I was interested in taking a closer look at it. And what better way to do that than by writing a book? I read and researched, careful not to pick up biases from the source. At the same time I didn't want to know too much, afraid that facts would overwhelm the story line. To make it easier on myself, I chose a common soldier to be the hero of the story. That way I didn't have to worry overmuch about overall strategy and being always correct; I simply went with what he would have know.
