Thea Beckman (1923–2004)

Originally published in 1973, as Kruistocht in spijkerbroek, this classic Dutch children's novel follows the story of Rudolph Hefting, a twentieth-century boy who finds himself transported back in time to the year 1212, and caught up in the events of the fabled Children's Crusade. Not sure that he can ever return to his own time, Dolf, together with Leonardo Fibonacci of Pisa - the young mathematics student he meets upon the road - decides to accompany the poorly organized crusade, hoping to show more help the children survive. So begins a monumental journey south, across the Karwendel range of the Alps, toward Genoa, and the sea.

The children believe that their nominal leader, Nicholas the shepherd boy, has had a vision from God, and (when they come to Genoa) will divide the sea, and lead them to the White City of Jerusalem, there to put to flight the Saracens. Dolf, with his twentieth-century skepticism, believes otherwise, but finds that he must accommodate himself - in public, anyway - to the customs and beliefs of the times. When treachery is revealed, and the true purpose of the crusade becomes clear, will Dolf, Leonardo, and their group of dedicated friends, be able to save the children from a terrible fate? And even if they do... what then?

Crusade in Jeans is not a book without flaw. To begin with, I sometimes found the language a little awkward, although I understand, from reading reviews by Dutch-speakers, that this is owing to the poor translation. It irked me, moreover, to see that the translator is not listed anywhere on (or in) the book! I also found some of the "history" questionable. Leonardo Fibonacci, for instance, would have been forty-two years old, in 1212, rather than a young student, and would already have published his famous Liber Abaci (in 1202), which did so much to bring Arabic numerals (to which Dolph supposedly exposes him, in the novel) to Europe. Then, of course, there is the question of the Children's Crusade itself - an apocryphal event (events?), now largely discredited by historians.

Still, Beckman's theory of how reports of such an event may have been started, made for fascinating reading. More importantly, her general grasp for the times - the importance attached to social class and position, the omnipresence of faith, both in internal decision-making, and overt practice, the appalling ignorance of geography, but surprisingly good hygiene (Dolf had always been taught that all people in the Middle Ages were dirty) - was top notch, and I came away from the story with the feeling that, like Dolf, I had truly stepped back in time. I also came away with a true attachment to the characters, and a desire to know more. I wanted to know what happened with Leonardo and Maria, later on - did they ever figure out where Dolf came from? I wanted to learn more about the boy who took Dolph's place, in the (then) present, and what happened to both of them, when they returned to their "correct" times.

This attachment points to another great strength, in Beckman's narrative: her character-building, and engaging storytelling style. This wasn't just historical fiction, or time-slip novel, but an exciting adventure, peopled with characters I had come to love. I had no idea how it would all be resolved - or if it would be resolved, in terms of Dolf returning to his own time - but was completely engrossed in the here and now: how would the children get across the Alps? How would Dolph rescue the fifty little crusaders kidnapped by the knights of Count Romhild of Scharnitz? What would happen, once the sea refused to part?

I was riveted! It's a shame that this is the only one of Thea Beckman's many children's books to be translated, thus far! I would definitely read more, if I had the chance! show less

READ IN DUTCH

Mijn favoriete deel uit de Thule reeks. Normaal gesproken hebben tweede delen in trilogieën nogal vaak de twijfelachtige eer de minste uit de reeks te zijn. Hier vond ik dat absoluut niet het geval. In Kinderen van Moeder Aarde werd alvast de wereld mooi geschept, en Het Gulden Vlies van Thule vond ik persoonlijk een minder deel, maar Het Helse Paradijs vond ik werkelijk een heel goed boek.
Een van mijn favoriete jeugdboeken.
Waarom? Ik vond het met name heel erg origineel, dat show more er een keer niet vanuit de goeden werd gekeken, maar dat het standpunt bij de slechteriken ligt. Het was heel verfrissend. Een absolute aanrader van mij! show less

A teenage boy travels back in time and finds himself in the middle of the Children's Crusade in 1212. He quickly becomes an advocate for the children and an important member of the group, helping them through famine, disease, and battles with local peasants and townspeople. He never believes in the mission, really, and from the beginning something doesn't feel right to him about the entire business, so he works to discover what the wrongness is and then fights for the safety of the show more children.
It was rough at the beginning (the book jumps right into the story without any sort of lead-up or introduction to the characters or situation, and not in a way that seems well thought-out), but once the story gets going, it's a decent one. show less

Dit boek heb ik als kind al gelezen en ik vond het verhaal heel interessant. Ik zat toen al helemaal in het verhaal doordat het ging over een jongen (Dolf) die met een tijdmachine terugging in de tijd van de middeleeuwen. Dit zorgt er meteen voor dat je nieuwsgierig wordt en dat je verder wilt lezen. Het is op zo'n bijzondere manier geschreven en laat echt goed zien hoe het er aan toe ging in de tijd waarin de kruistochten plaatsvonden. Hierdoor is het ook een leerzaam boek. Veel kinderen show more vinden de geschiedenis heel interessant, dus dan is dit boek perfect. Het boek bevat veel avontuur en spanning. show less