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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 from any kind of sticky situation. Plus, there is plenty of history and background included, from geography and the baron wars of England, to rivalries on the Crusades, to lifestyles of the Middle East. Find a comfortable seat and enjoy!Read full review
Set in 1188-92, The Hero, Cuthbert, begins his story with an ambush of outlaws in a Worcestershire wood in which he kills a kidnapper with a crossbow arrow and rescues a little maiden. He enters the service of King Richard and makes the long journey to the Holy Land to war with the Saracens. With bows and battle-axes he fights his way across Europe and into the Middle East. In a last stand with his company in Palestine, Cuthbert is struck in the head by a Nubian wielding a mace and regains consciousness as a prisoner of the enemy. The intrepid boy escapes and faces dangerous adventures in the return trip across Europe. He is knighted for his heroic exploits and in due course aids in the rescue of King Richard in Austria and returns triumphant to England. I great source of Crusade History, sorry if this is a long review, but I did not even scratch the surface. I highly recomend this book, and suggest you add it to your library today!Read full review
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