A traditional numbering scheme for the Crusades gives us nine during the 11th to 13th centuries, as well as other smaller crusaders that are mostly contemporaneous and unnumbered. There were frequent "minor" Crusades throughout this period, not only in Palestine but also in Spain and central Europe, against not only Muslims, but also Christian heretics and personal enemies of the Papacy or other powerful monarchs. Such "Crusades" continued into the 16th century, until the Renaissance and Reformation when the political and religious climate of Europe was significantly different than that of the Middle Ages.
This series by Mark Butler is set against the backdrop of the Fourth and following Crusades. From the streets of Barcelona to the mighty battles in the East, readers will come to understand how the greatest army in the world assaulted the wrong nation. How Christians slaughtered Christians in the pursuit of money, power and perhaps most important of all...Legacy. Our main protagonist is one Rayjo de Merafiza, hero of the Third Crusade, who with his sons, join the Crusading army as it heads towards Constantinople.
Book 1 - The Fourth Crusade
As the armies of Christianity gather for the greatest war of their lives, a few powerful men and unfortunate circumstances turn the Europeans away from their intended target and onto Constantinople, the most unlikely of targets. The Orthodox Greeks are forced to furiously defend their homeland.
Book 2 - The Fifth Crusade
The year is 1215 in medieval Europe. Pope Innocent III is waging two Crusades simultaneously. The smaller Albigensian Crusade is a vicious war on the Cathars, an extremist sect of separatists in Southern France. The Fifth Crusade is also raging, emptying Europe's fighting men into the Middle East and Northern Africa and slaughtering thousands. The peoples of Europe are exhausted and skeptical of the Church, which has thrust civilization back into madness.
Book 3 - The Sixth Crusade
The church is bankrupt, the Fifth Crusade a colossal failure. When King Frederick, the Holy Roman Emperor, embarks on the Sixth Crusade, Leonardo di Spie, a spy, thief and killer, is entrusted with keeping him alive against insurmountable odds.
Book 4 - The Seventh Crusade
The world of 1248 is fraught with danger. The Holy Land is under the dominion of the ruthless Ayyubid Muslims, the greatest military force in the world. They jealously control the fertile Middle East.
In a calculated military action, King Louis IX of France launches a massive invasion of Ayyubid Egypt. It is a mighty arrow launched at the Egypt's capital, Cairo, from across the Mediterranean Sea. If Louis succeeds in his quest, his nation will flourish for a thousand years and his name will be written in the history books forever.
Book 5 - The Final Crusade
In this final novel about our brave Crusaders, Butler paints a vivid picture of medieval Europe, complete with full-scale battles, mystical creatures and breath-taking scenery. Join the Coquets on their final journey as Butler goes deeper than he ever has before, in a quest to expose the core of the human condition.
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