The book of the lion

by Michael Cadnum

Edmund, an apprentice coin minter, is accused of counterfeiting in this novel set in 12th-century England. In an effort to escape his punishment, Edmund becomes the squire to a knight who is joining Richard the Lionhearted in the crusades. Traveling from London to Venice, Edmund and his compatriots takes part in the siege of Acre. The author does not gloss over the horrors of the crusades as Edmund wonders if there can ever be such a thing as a "holy war." Nominated for a 2000 National Book Award.