The Boy Knight: A Tale of the Crusades

This is exactly the same book as "Winning His Spurs." It was retitled for this new publication. When this adventure begins, Cuthbert is a boy of fifteen living at home with his mother in Norman England. He hears information and is able to warn the outlaws living in the forest, among whom he has relatives, of an impending attack by the Earl of Evesham, who resents their killing his deer without permission. The forest men are reconciled to the Earl, however, when Cuthbert summons their help to rescue the Earl's daughter from a kidnapping by a nearby vindictive Norman nobleman. After Cuthbert participates in the victorious siege of the latter's castle, the Earl of Evesham, who is himself a distant relative of Cuthbert, promises to take him with him when he next rides off to battle. Neither had any idea that they would be going off to battle so soon. King Richard the Lionhearted was gathering troops to set off on another crusade, and Cuthbert gets to go along, and be a party to major historic events. He witnesses the French and British rivalry, rescues a princess, wins a duel, fights the Moorish pirates, is knighted for saving King Richard's life in a battle, escapes Saracen captivity, visits with a Dead Sea hermit, and returns to Europe with King Richard. When the Earl of Evesham was mortally wounded, he begged the king that his estates, title and daughter would be granted to Cuthbert. After Cuthbert and his faithful men make their dangerous journey across the snowy Alps and hostile European cities with many narrow escapes, they find themselves rather unwelcome in England. There he leads a Robin Hood style life, and with Robin Hood, no less! They finally see that Cuthbert's mother and fiancée are in safety, and Cuthbert goes with Blondel to discover the place of King Richard's imprisonment, and arrange for his ransom. This is one of the more exciting Henty adventures, and any lover of Robin Hood will certainly enjoy this tale. Cuthbert's presence of mind and common sense, his loyalty, honesty, valor, and quick wits are all characteristics that make us and his authorities in the book admire and respect him. If it were a movie, you would find yourself holding your breath, but by the time you're halfway through the book, you will be confident that Cuthbert can extricate himself and his friends with honor and distinction from any kind of sticky situation. Find a comfortable seat and enjoy!

I read this book to my kids (8 & 5) in about 1 week. They loved it and sat for hours listening. We read it as part of our homeschool curriculum and I think it creates a memorable impression of the crusades; a great tie-in with middle-ages history. It is not an easy read but well worth the effort.

This book is full of adventure, excitement, and HISTORY. If you want to learn about King Richard, Knights, the Crusades, or Medieval times then this book is perfect for you. Clean and entertaining, it's a story the whole family can and will enjoy if you buy it. G.A. Henty makes the book come alive with his wonderful story telling abilities that include twists and turns, and wonderful characters. You will begin to fell like your there as Henty describes the Middle East and England with wonderful descriptions and details. I highly recommend you buy this book!

G.A. Henty is known for his historical exactness, and he loses none of his reputation with this volume. One can seldom find an unbiased and truthful account of the Crusades, but Henty has given us this in really just an overview of some historical battles. The remainder of the book is filled with typical battles, experiences, and accounts of the time. We learn of what Crusaders did upon retirement, their religious zeal, the fighting lists, and Saxon England's Baron wars. One would do well to add this book to their library.

I just finished reading this book, and I thought it was great! I've been fascinated by the Holy Wars and this gave a fresh new perspective on things. It's the story of an English boy of Saxon blood, how he ascended in the favor af the regional lord in England, travelling to the Holy Land and serving in King Richard's army as a knight. It tells about the conflict between the Saxons, the "natives" of England, and the Normans, the heirarchy. It also talks about the strife between England and other European countries like France and Germany. The last quarter of the book talks about the bondage, and finally, freedom, of Richard Lionheart from the hands of the hostile Germans. Magnificent writing style, detailed descriptions of time and place and depth of characters make this another triumph for G.A. Henty.