King of the Middle March

Thousands of knights and foot soldiers are mustering in Venice for the launch of the fourth Crusade. Among them in young Arthur de Caldicot, soon to dubbed a knight. He is thrilled to be part of this huge gathering; but all too soon the crusade falls into disarray.

War, romance, murder, family quarrels, power politics, the conflict between Christianity and Islam: all these are elements in an action-packed story that gives us a startlingly vivid picture of medieval life, enriched by earthy comedy and the magic of the Arthurian legends.