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Les Chevaliers #1
Thibaut ou la Croix perdue
Premier volet de la grande fresque historique Les Chevaliers , l'histoire de Thibaut, ami et écuyer à la cour de Jérusalem, du prince Baudouin et amoureux pour son malheur de la demi-soeur de celui-ci. Thibaut, fils bâtard du déplorable comte d'Edesse et de Turbessel, a été élevé à la cour de Jérusalem avec le prince héritier Baudouin, dont il devient l'ami et l'écuyer. A ce garçon beau comme un ange et paré des plus nobles qualités, mais atteint de la lèpre, Thibaut se voue corps et âme. Il l'accompagne aux quatre coins du royaume dans un combat incessant, malgré la maladie, contre l'hégémonie de Saladin, un combat que le prince mènera jusqu'à sa mort, à vingt-quatre ans !Son amitié totale pour Baudouin n'empêche pas Thibaut d'être profondément amoureux d'Isabelle, la demi-sœur de celui-ci, d'un amour qui durera toute sa vie, même quand elle coiffera la couronne de Jérusalem, entrant ainsi dans un bien étrange destin.Auprès de ces quatre personnages, se presse l'entourage royal : la mère de Baudouin, nymphomane, perverse ; sa fille Sibylle, ravissante, froide, égoïste ; les barons plus ou moins fidèles, ou rapaces. Pendant que les intrigues se multiplient, le royaume court à sa perte, sous le regard des mystérieux Templiers.Avec Thibaut ou la Croix perdue , Juliette Benzoni entame une nouvelle série qui comprendra trois volets, et dont l'histoire se déroulera de 1176 à 1320. Un nouveau domaine d'exploration pour la star du roman historique.
569 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2002
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Juliette Benzoni
304 books154 followersJuliette Benzoni, (Andrée-Marguerite-Juliette) was a French author and international bestseller in several genres, including historical romance, historical fiction, mystery and screenwriting. Named by the Media as the « Queen of History Novels » and « Daughter of Alexander Dumas».
Born 1920 in Paris and growing up in an upper-middle-class family. At the age of nine, she discovered her passion for history while looking at a photo of ‘Joan of Arc’. Benzoni studied at the Institut Catholique de Paris’, philosophy, law and literature. At the age of fifteen, her parents moved to Saint-Mandé where she lived until her death.
In 1941, she married a doctor from Dijon, and was soon mother of two children. During that period, she studied at the libraries of Dijon the History of the Dukes of Burgundy, where she stumbled on the Legend of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which would later inspire her for her Catherine series.
In 1950, her husband died and she went to Morocco, visiting relatives of her late husband and joined the editorial staff at a radio station and met her future husband, Colonel Count André Benzoni di Conza. They married in 1953, but because of the unstable political situation, she returned to Paris, while her husband was to join the 6th Regiment of Moroccan Spahis in Hué.
Back in Paris, she launched into journalism and worked for various Newspapers, Magazines and wrote for ‘Confidences’ historical articles and interviewed celebrities such as Jean Cocteau, Jean Marais, Erich von Stroheim and Maurice Chevalier.
In 1959, Gérald Gauthier, director of the Press Agency at Opéra Mundi, watched her in a popular television Quiz show and impressed by her historical knowledge about the Italian Renaissance asked her if she were able to write a historical romance series
in the style of Anne Golon's ‘Angélique’.
Benzoni affirmed, remembering her fascination for the ‘Order of the Golden Fleece’. Her research for that soon-to-become Bestseller took up three years and in 1963, 'Catherine, Il suffit d’un amour’ was published. The success was enormous and there followed in 1965, a Song called ‘Catherine, ma mie’ composed by Paul Amar, text by Juliette Benzoni.
The Catherine series was translated into 26 languages. Benzoni's Works includes: 3 Single Novels, 17 series, 18 self-contained short stories; 55 million Readers and 300 million books sold Worldwide. She was a huge fan of the books by Agatha Christie, Anne Perry and Ken Follet. In 1978 she received from the White House a letter by President ‘Ronald Reagan’ for the way she described in her Novel ‘The Lure of the Falcon’ the Independence War!
Four of her Bestsellers the ‘Catherine, Marianne, Le Gerfaut and La Florentine’ series were filmed for French television, for which she wrote the Screenplay, together with Jean Chatenet. Although her later works were not widely translated, in 1984, she was one of the top ten female French writers whose works were translated into English. Two weeks before her death in 2016, her last book ‘Le Vol du Sancy: Des carats pour Ava’? was published. It was the 15th adventure of her favourite hero Prince Aldo Morosini, a mystery series.
Her Awards and Honours:
1973 the Alexandre Dumas Prix, for the Catherine and Marianne series.
1988, the Prix Littéraire « Louis Barthou » Silver Medal from the Académie Française for Felicia au soleil couchant.
1998, the Chevalier of the National Order of Merit Medal, by Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
Born 1920 in Paris and growing up in an upper-middle-class family. At the age of nine, she discovered her passion for history while looking at a photo of ‘Joan of Arc’. Benzoni studied at the Institut Catholique de Paris’, philosophy, law and literature. At the age of fifteen, her parents moved to Saint-Mandé where she lived until her death.
In 1941, she married a doctor from Dijon, and was soon mother of two children. During that period, she studied at the libraries of Dijon the History of the Dukes of Burgundy, where she stumbled on the Legend of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which would later inspire her for her Catherine series.
In 1950, her husband died and she went to Morocco, visiting relatives of her late husband and joined the editorial staff at a radio station and met her future husband, Colonel Count André Benzoni di Conza. They married in 1953, but because of the unstable political situation, she returned to Paris, while her husband was to join the 6th Regiment of Moroccan Spahis in Hué.
Back in Paris, she launched into journalism and worked for various Newspapers, Magazines and wrote for ‘Confidences’ historical articles and interviewed celebrities such as Jean Cocteau, Jean Marais, Erich von Stroheim and Maurice Chevalier.
In 1959, Gérald Gauthier, director of the Press Agency at Opéra Mundi, watched her in a popular television Quiz show and impressed by her historical knowledge about the Italian Renaissance asked her if she were able to write a historical romance series
in the style of Anne Golon's ‘Angélique’.
Benzoni affirmed, remembering her fascination for the ‘Order of the Golden Fleece’. Her research for that soon-to-become Bestseller took up three years and in 1963, 'Catherine, Il suffit d’un amour’ was published. The success was enormous and there followed in 1965, a Song called ‘Catherine, ma mie’ composed by Paul Amar, text by Juliette Benzoni.
The Catherine series was translated into 26 languages. Benzoni's Works includes: 3 Single Novels, 17 series, 18 self-contained short stories; 55 million Readers and 300 million books sold Worldwide. She was a huge fan of the books by Agatha Christie, Anne Perry and Ken Follet. In 1978 she received from the White House a letter by President ‘Ronald Reagan’ for the way she described in her Novel ‘The Lure of the Falcon’ the Independence War!
Four of her Bestsellers the ‘Catherine, Marianne, Le Gerfaut and La Florentine’ series were filmed for French television, for which she wrote the Screenplay, together with Jean Chatenet. Although her later works were not widely translated, in 1984, she was one of the top ten female French writers whose works were translated into English. Two weeks before her death in 2016, her last book ‘Le Vol du Sancy: Des carats pour Ava’? was published. It was the 15th adventure of her favourite hero Prince Aldo Morosini, a mystery series.
Her Awards and Honours:
1973 the Alexandre Dumas Prix, for the Catherine and Marianne series.
1988, the Prix Littéraire « Louis Barthou » Silver Medal from the Académie Française for Felicia au soleil couchant.
1998, the Chevalier of the National Order of Merit Medal, by Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 27, 2025
Наконец-то начала эту серию. Типичная, но красивая приключенческая история про рыцарей. Идет медленно, я чутка охреневаю от вокабуляра, но это причина, по которой я начала это читать в ориге. учим новые слова
October 16, 2019
J’ai trouvé de belles références religieuses/théologique! C’était vraiment bien!
March 20, 2012
OMG this 'book'! I'm as hardcore a baldwinite as one can be, but this is a disgrace to Baldwin. I've written an entry about it on LJ better just copypaste it here, I guess...
So, here I come to share the parts where the BSmeter got farther in the red zone, but at some cases it almost broke down. I put a marker to every WTF-y place and must tell you the book was full of markers, here comes the best of the best.
The love-scene with Baldwin and his lady love, the fragile, flower-like beauty, virtuous, sweetysugary tweetybird (she cries in almost every scene she appears in, the pages are wet from all the tears she sheds; and in general she is sooo sweeeet and adorable you almost wish she'd suffer a bit more than she actually does in the book); she is smuggled into Baldwin's chambers by the evil-pervert-misbegotten Agnés. '....Ariane left the shelter of the pillows and glided quite close to the King. Baldwin felt the face radiant with joy barely a finger away from his lips, while his neck was surrounded by the fragrant tenderness of fresh arms. Ariane came closer and their lips touched, melted together in the passion that swept away everything.' Bla, bla, they are about to make out, but Baldwin backs off; '-No.. I don't want it...
-tweetybird; But I do! I love you! You don't know how much I love you! I was always yours and lived only for this moment. Don't ruin it! I'm so happy!- The king was happy too. He couldn't have told how much. Ariane, with the inbred knowledge that is animated by love in the East, enveloped him with tender kisses and hugs.' Crrrkkk, the BSmeter broke down, allow me to fix it. Baldwin; '-Oh yes, I love you! Since the bouquet (the chick gave it to him at one occassion) 'you live in me like a tender light.. and a heart-wrenching sorrow! If I was a man like any other, I'd make you queen... How should I reject that which I long for the most in the world? -he whispered burying his face in the girl's hair, feeling happily that Ariane slicks against him....' ...In the name of Baldwin, Miss Benzoni should be banned to write anything for the rest of her life apart from shopping lists.
William Longswords dying from typhoid fever; (Baldwin and William talking about evil-shallow-lecherous Sybilla not visiting since hubby's illness started) '-The Countess must take care of the child she is bearing-explained the doctor suddenly, scared of the king's sharp voice. Baldwin silenced him with a movement. - Noone catches such a disease by wiping a sweating forehead or says conforting words of love. Says the king, whoses only hope for a successor is the child his sister is carrying. If it was the real, reasonal Baldwin, it would be him, banning Syb from attending Will.
About Agnés; She knew what they whispered in the palace and in the city: the child suffers for the vile of his mother, but in her pride she refused to accept that low-men would judge her the same way she was not willing to to confess to a priest the beautiful bodily sins that she'd not regret for a second. She was unable to ask for sorry even from God. That is, if you love sex, you are listed among the EEEVVVVLLL characters. The same applies if you are afraid of leprosy.
The fall of Le Chastellet; - It was a terrible explosion. The sappers of Saladdin surely got behind the walls and placed there a huge bomb. bomb? BOMB??? WTF?????? O_o
Pg. 314.: Baldwin in the saddle for the last time (fever stricken); But as soon as he got into the saddle, he gave out a cry that was like a rattle.. and fell to the feet of Sultan (his horse). When he was undressed, they saw with terror that one of his legs came off by the knees.... again WTF???? Leprosy does not work this way, Miss Benzoni! (Reading this part, I laughed out loud screaming, which was certainly not the desired effect...)
Pg. 325.: Baldwin upon Isabelle marrying Humphrey of Toron (in this version she escaped with him against the will of the King); 'If you are happy, Isabelle, there is nothing I should forgive.' So sayeth the King, who in reality married her off to Humphrey at 11, when she didn't even count to be of age yet. 'You were always my little sister, and I would like to hug you. Although this is impossible, you must know that your happiness mattered so much more to me, than the consequences of politics.' WTF???? Isabelle's personal happiness mattering so much more to the King than politics? If I was ruled by such a King, I would be deeply worried either as a noble or as a commoner and would conspire to get rid of him, indeed.
Ok, enough of this dross, if you are interested in all the gems scattered throughout the book, go get it and read it (if you have nothing better to do). In one aspect the book is a recorder. Its the 1st book, in which the figure of Baldwin evoked in me nothing but boredom, annoyance and indifference. Which, given my love to the King, is quite an achievement.
So, here I come to share the parts where the BSmeter got farther in the red zone, but at some cases it almost broke down. I put a marker to every WTF-y place and must tell you the book was full of markers, here comes the best of the best.
The love-scene with Baldwin and his lady love, the fragile, flower-like beauty, virtuous, sweetysugary tweetybird (she cries in almost every scene she appears in, the pages are wet from all the tears she sheds; and in general she is sooo sweeeet and adorable you almost wish she'd suffer a bit more than she actually does in the book); she is smuggled into Baldwin's chambers by the evil-pervert-misbegotten Agnés. '....Ariane left the shelter of the pillows and glided quite close to the King. Baldwin felt the face radiant with joy barely a finger away from his lips, while his neck was surrounded by the fragrant tenderness of fresh arms. Ariane came closer and their lips touched, melted together in the passion that swept away everything.' Bla, bla, they are about to make out, but Baldwin backs off; '-No.. I don't want it...
-tweetybird; But I do! I love you! You don't know how much I love you! I was always yours and lived only for this moment. Don't ruin it! I'm so happy!- The king was happy too. He couldn't have told how much. Ariane, with the inbred knowledge that is animated by love in the East, enveloped him with tender kisses and hugs.' Crrrkkk, the BSmeter broke down, allow me to fix it. Baldwin; '-Oh yes, I love you! Since the bouquet (the chick gave it to him at one occassion) 'you live in me like a tender light.. and a heart-wrenching sorrow! If I was a man like any other, I'd make you queen... How should I reject that which I long for the most in the world? -he whispered burying his face in the girl's hair, feeling happily that Ariane slicks against him....' ...In the name of Baldwin, Miss Benzoni should be banned to write anything for the rest of her life apart from shopping lists.
William Longswords dying from typhoid fever; (Baldwin and William talking about evil-shallow-lecherous Sybilla not visiting since hubby's illness started) '-The Countess must take care of the child she is bearing-explained the doctor suddenly, scared of the king's sharp voice. Baldwin silenced him with a movement. - Noone catches such a disease by wiping a sweating forehead or says conforting words of love. Says the king, whoses only hope for a successor is the child his sister is carrying. If it was the real, reasonal Baldwin, it would be him, banning Syb from attending Will.
About Agnés; She knew what they whispered in the palace and in the city: the child suffers for the vile of his mother, but in her pride she refused to accept that low-men would judge her the same way she was not willing to to confess to a priest the beautiful bodily sins that she'd not regret for a second. She was unable to ask for sorry even from God. That is, if you love sex, you are listed among the EEEVVVVLLL characters. The same applies if you are afraid of leprosy.
The fall of Le Chastellet; - It was a terrible explosion. The sappers of Saladdin surely got behind the walls and placed there a huge bomb. bomb? BOMB??? WTF?????? O_o
Pg. 314.: Baldwin in the saddle for the last time (fever stricken); But as soon as he got into the saddle, he gave out a cry that was like a rattle.. and fell to the feet of Sultan (his horse). When he was undressed, they saw with terror that one of his legs came off by the knees.... again WTF???? Leprosy does not work this way, Miss Benzoni! (Reading this part, I laughed out loud screaming, which was certainly not the desired effect...)
Pg. 325.: Baldwin upon Isabelle marrying Humphrey of Toron (in this version she escaped with him against the will of the King); 'If you are happy, Isabelle, there is nothing I should forgive.' So sayeth the King, who in reality married her off to Humphrey at 11, when she didn't even count to be of age yet. 'You were always my little sister, and I would like to hug you. Although this is impossible, you must know that your happiness mattered so much more to me, than the consequences of politics.' WTF???? Isabelle's personal happiness mattering so much more to the King than politics? If I was ruled by such a King, I would be deeply worried either as a noble or as a commoner and would conspire to get rid of him, indeed.
Ok, enough of this dross, if you are interested in all the gems scattered throughout the book, go get it and read it (if you have nothing better to do). In one aspect the book is a recorder. Its the 1st book, in which the figure of Baldwin evoked in me nothing but boredom, annoyance and indifference. Which, given my love to the King, is quite an achievement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews