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Helena P. Schrader earned a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg with a ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler. After a number of years in the private sector, she spent was commissioned in the U.S. Foreign Service and served as an American diplomat in Africa and Europe. She retired in December 2018.
Helena has published numerous works of fiction and non-fiction over the last 15 years, most recently focusing on the history of the crusader states. Her Jerusalem Trilogy, a series of biographical novels set in the Holy Land in the late 12th century, won twelve literary accolades. Her next fiction project is a series exploring the struggle between the Hohenstaufens and the barons of Outremer. She is currently working on a non-fiction book, "Beyond the Seas: The Story of the Crusader States," intended to bring together diverse recent scholarship on the Latin East in a single volume aimed at non-academics.
For details visit http://www.helenapschrader.com or follow her author blog: http://schradershistoricalfiction.blogspot.com for updates on current works in progress, recent reviews and excerpts. For more on the crusader kingdoms and Balian d’Ibelin visit: http://www.defenderofjerusalem.com or follow her blog at: http://defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com.
Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite
It is the 13th century, and a match between Sir Amaury Barlais and Sir Toringuel sees Amaury defeated. This failure sparks even more hatred from Amaury and this time he swears his revenge. Barlais and his two supportive friends, Cheneché and Bethsan, leave and later befriend Frederick II Hohenstaufen, feeding him lies about the Ibelins. Balian, the eldest son of John, Lord of Beirut, is still young when he witnesses the match. Being the eldest, his father is continuously hard on him, knowing that Balian will inherit his position as Lord of Beirut and head of the Ibelin family. When Balian encounters Frederick II, he is appalled at the monarch’s indifference to his uncle’s death and that of his own wife, Yolanda. This is the first of many encounters of Frederick’s inhumanity in Rebels against Tyranny by Helena P. Schrader.
The characters in the novel are very well drawn. Even though they are many in number, each of them fits into the plot and their roles are well expounded. The plot ties together and is brought alive by the vivid scenes and descriptions. Helena P. Schrader presents the way of life in the Crusader states and the turbulent battles the Ibelins forged against the tyrant. As much as historians point to Frederick II with much admiration, Schrader’s work helps in illuminating the more objective accounts written by Frederick’s contemporaries. The beautiful strand of romance in the plot made the book even more appealing. Rebels against Tyranny: Civil War in the Crusader States by Helena P. Schrader is a must-read for all lovers of history. It is not only revealing but also entrancing.
