“Chronicles of the Crusades” is composed of two individual narratives by soldiers who participated first-hand in the violent two hundred year struggle for possession of the holy land. The first is “Conquest of Constantinople” by Geffroy de Villehardouin which describes the controversial Fourth Crusade of 1204. Villehardouin, who was appointed marshal of Champagne, France, and Romania, recounts the brutal fight for control of Constantinople between the Christians of the West and the Christians of the East. Villehardouin’s work is remarkable for being one of the earliest works of prose in French, rather than being written in Latin which was traditional for the time. In the second account, “Life of Saint Louis”, Jean de Joinville, who inherited the office of seneschal of Champagne at a young age, recalls his close relationship with King Louis IX of France, his campaign in the Holy Land, and his later life at the King’s court. These accounts, originally composed in Old French, are considered to be some of the most accurate portrayals of the Crusades. These eyewitness stories give readers a fascinating insight into the religious and political fervor that sparked centuries of brutal battles and the struggle for control over the holy land.
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