Publisher's Synopsis
The Child's Crusade is a historical novel written by William Hale Beckford and published in 1916. The book tells the story of a group of children who embark on a crusade to Jerusalem in the 13th century. The children are inspired by a young boy named Stephen, who claims to have received a vision from Jesus Christ, urging him to lead a crusade to free the Holy Land from Muslim control.Despite the objections of their parents and the church authorities, the children set out on their journey, facing numerous challenges and dangers along the way. They are joined by a few sympathetic adults, including a monk and a knight, who try to guide and protect them.As they travel through Europe, the children encounter various obstacles, including hunger, disease, and hostile locals. They also face betrayal from some of their own members, who become disillusioned or are tempted by greed.The Child's Crusade is a compelling story of faith, bravery, and innocence, as well as a commentary on the dangers of blind religious fervor and the exploitation of children. The book is based on a historical event that took place in 1212, when thousands of children supposedly marched to the Holy Land, but the accuracy of the accounts is disputed by historians.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
