They were men born to fight. If God willed that Antioch was the place
where they gave up life, so be it. Thanks to the stratagems of Bohemund
de Hauteville, leader of the Apulian Normans, the Crusade has taken the
city of Antioch, and just in time. Once the besiegers, Bohemund and his
men are about to become the besieged--a huge Turkish-led army, commanded
by the fearsome General Kerbogha, is fast approaching. Provisions are
needed to support not only the army, but also thousands of camp
followers and pilgrims. But the surrounding countryside is near barren
and the storerooms of Antioch much depleted.
It soon becomes obvious that the Crusaders cannot hold out for long
without falling prey to starvation. And for Bohemund and his nephew
Tancred there is another difficulty: The dissent between the Crusade
leaders has broken out into the open, with the wealthy Provencal magnate
Raymond of Toulouse stirring up conflict. If the Christian host is
fighting on two fronts, so is Bohemund himself. With the enemy Turks at
his front and his warring peers at his back, can he gain the might city
of Antioch once and for all? Only one of the greatest battles of the age
will decide.
