Crusade (Laird novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Elizabeth Laird |
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| Country | Great Britain, United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
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Publication date
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2007 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
Crusade is an exciting novel written by Elizabeth Laird. Macmillan first published it in 2007. The story takes place during the Third Crusade. It follows the adventures of two boys: Salim, a Saracen, and Adam, an English boy. The book was recognized for its quality. It was a finalist for the 2007 Costa Children's Book Award.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
The city of Acre is under attack for a year and a half. The Frankish army is trying to capture it. Sultan Saladin's army is nearby.
Adam is an English boy. He becomes a helper for Sir Ivo. He starts by caring for horses. Later, he becomes a squire, a knight's assistant.
Salim is a Saracen boy. He often watches the Frankish camp. One day, Saracen soldiers catch him. They think he is a spy. But they soon learn his true identity. Sultan Saladin realizes Salim has learned a lot about the Frankish army. He tells Salim to keep watching them.
The Ambush and Its Consequences
A Mamluk soldier named Ismail uses Salim's information. He plans a surprise attack. The Mamluks provoke the Frankish soldiers. They yell insults while riding horses. The Frankish knights quickly get ready for battle. Sir Guy de Martel ignores advice from Sir Ivo. Sir Ivo thinks it's a trap.
All the knights from the Martel army ride into battle. Their squires and foot soldiers follow them. Adam runs to help Sir Ivo. Adam's dog, Faithful, tries to follow him. Faithful is told to go back to camp. But Faithful secretly follows Adam.
When they reach the ambush, the knights are already fighting. Two Mamluks attack Sir Ivo. One tries to make his horse rear up. The other attacks with a sword. Faithful bites the Mamluk trying to make the horse rear. This Mamluk turns out to be Ismail. Sir Ivo kills the other attacker. The Mamluks then retreat. They take four Frankish prisoners.
Faithful starts barking at Sir Guy de Martel's horse. Adam quickly pulls Faithful away. He sends the dog back to camp. When Adam turns back, Sir Guy's horse has reared. Sir Guy de Martel has fallen to the ground.
A Surprising Discovery
Sultan Saladin shows kindness. He sends Dr. Musa and Salim to help Sir Guy. Sir Guy has a serious head injury. He is unconscious. One prisoner is sent with them. He is warned that if he fails to return, the other prisoners will be harmed.
Dr. Musa meets two Frankish doctors. Dr. John has lived in the Holy Land his whole life. Dr. Nicholas has different ideas. Nicholas believes a demon has entered Sir Guy's body. He thinks cutting open Sir Guy's head will release it. Dr. John and Dr. Musa know this is wrong. They eventually get to treat Sir Guy.
They manage to help Sir Guy. He survives, but he is not completely normal. For a while, he is only awake for short periods. During one of these moments, he tells Adam a secret. He reveals that Adam is his son. Sir Robert de Martel does not believe this at first. He thinks Adam is a witch. Eventually, he has to accept it.
A few days later, Adam talks to his father. He admits that his dog caused Sir Guy's horse to rear. Sir Guy sees this as a punishment for his past actions. Soon after, Sir Guy has a seizure. Dr. John is away. Dr. Nicholas is left to help. Still believing in demons, he cuts open Sir Guy's head. Sir Guy dies quickly. Dr. Musa is very angry when he hears about this.
Escaping Acre and New Journeys
Sir Ivo and Adam are thankful for Dr. Musa's help. They visit the Saracen camp. They ask if they can do anything for Dr. Musa. Dr. Musa mentions that Salim's family is still in Acre. He asks for a safe way for them to leave. Sir Ivo agrees. However, Ali, a soldier from Acre, chooses to stay. He wants to help defend the city.
Back in Saladin's camp, Salim's mother shares her plans. She wants to go to Damascus. Her brother lives there. A friend gave her money for the journey. Just days after Salim's family escapes, Acre's walls fall. The army attacks the city.
Adam and the army get ready to enter siege towers. Jennet is nearby, giving water to the soldiers. One of the towers is hit by Greek Fire. Adam and the soldiers quickly get away. But the tower falls on Jennet. She dies.
Adam helps in the attack. He is hit by something while climbing the crumbled wall. Sir Ivo carries him to safety. Adam wakes up in Acre's hospital. It takes weeks for him to get strong again. He learns that a woman named Joan is caring for him. Adam offers to pay Joan to leave her job. He wants her to come to his new estate. She agrees.
A Rescue Mission and New Beginnings
Later, Tibby goes missing. Adam searches everywhere. He discovers that Jacques has sold her to slave traders.
Salim, Dr. Musa, and their bodyguard Tewfik are finally allowed to travel to Jerusalem. As they leave, Adam finds them. He convinces them to help find Tibby. They give Adam a special cap and tunic. This helps him look like a Kurd. He pretends to be deaf and unable to speak. This way, no one will know he is Frankish.
They do not reach Jerusalem. But they find Tibby. Adam barely escapes with her. When he returns, he is jailed. He left Sir Ivo, who was badly hurt. Eventually, Adam is released. He is allowed to return to England.
While waiting for the ship, Adam tells everyone that Jacques is a cheat. Adam and others chase Jacques. A messenger finds Adam. He gives Adam a paper that makes him free. Adam can now go to his new estate at Brockwood.
At Dr. Musa's home in Jerusalem, Mamluks arrive. Ismail is among them. Saladin wants Dr. Musa to return to the army. Dr. Musa refuses. But he tells the Mamluks that Salim knows as much as he does. Salim wants to return to the army. Dr. Musa gives Salim a turban. Ismail then calls Salim "brother." Salim rides back to Saladin's army with the Mamluks.
Life Ten Years Later
Ten years pass. Adam is now the master of Brockwood. He manages his estate well. Tom Bate, Jennet's father, is his helper. Adam married a miller's daughter named Margaret. They have three sons. Faithful, Adam's dog, has puppies. Sir Ivo often visits Adam.
Adam never learns that Dr. Musa died quietly five years after Saladin saved Jerusalem. Dr. Musa was reading a book in his courtyard. Salim cried when he heard the news. After years of training, Salim is a respected doctor. He cares for his family. He lives in Damascus with his wife, Leila, and two daughters. He has a Mamluk-trained horse. Sometimes he rides it to be alone. Ismail is now a captain of his own Mamluk troop. He often sends Salim greetings and news.
Main Characters
Salim Ibn Adil
Salim is a boy from the strong town of Acre. When news spreads that a Frankish army is coming, his father sends him away. Salim becomes Dr. Musa's helper. This is to keep him safe in Damascus.
While escaping, a small group of Franks forces them to hide. They are almost found. But a small force of Mamluks appears. They chase the Franks away. The Mamluks do not see Salim, Dr. Musa, or their mule, Suweida. They try to stay hidden. But Suweida gives away their spot. The Mamluks take them to Sultan Saladin's camp. The Sultan needs a doctor. There, Salim becomes friends with a Mamluk named Ismail.
Adam
Adam is a fourteen-year-old English boy. His mother dies. He believes he must scatter Jerusalem dust on her grave. This will guarantee her soul goes to Paradise. Jacques the pedlar sells him some special soil. Adam spends his last coin on it. But he finds out it is just ordinary dirt from England.
After his mother's death, Adam works as a dog boy for Lord Guy. When war is announced, Adam feels inspired. He decides to join the Crusades. He wants to travel to the Holy Land. He hopes to get real Jerusalem dust for his mother. Lord Guy chooses him to go to the Holy Land. He hopes for good hunting on the way. Before they leave, Adam gets a large dog. He names him Faithful. During their journey, most of the dogs get sick and die. Faithful is the only one left when they reach Acre. Adam's close friend, Jennet, is on a different ship. To Adam's horror, her ship is lost in a terrible storm.
