Schwert und Krone - Der junge Falke

The epic of Friedrich Barbarossa by bestselling author Sabine Ebert continues! The second volume of the grand medieval saga is now available in paperback. At the beginning of 1147, famine and doomsday prophets bring despair to the German lands. Almost all major noble houses are preparing for two crusades. Under King Conrad, tens of thousands want to journey to the Holy Land, while the eastern princes plan to conquer Slavic territories along the Elbe, Havel, and coast with their "Wendish Crusade." Before they set off, strategic marriages are arranged. Friedrich of Staufen, the king's nephew and future Barbarossa, marries the unloved Adela of Vohburg, while the son of the Margrave of Meissen, Dietrich, weds a cold-hearted Polish duchess. Almost all the men go to war – and the women must cope alone with famine, poor harvests, and attacks. On the way to the Holy Land, young Friedrich makes a name for himself as a military leader. However, the crusade ends in disaster. Only a few return home. Among the returnees is the gravely ill King Conrad of Staufen. The never-ending power struggles reignite. Conrad dies just days before the election and coronation of his only eight-year-old son as co-regent. This is the moment when Friedrich of Staufen resolutely reaches for the crown. He wants to reshape the empire – and find a new wife, a better match than Adela. The continuation of the bestseller "Sword and Crown: Masters of Deception.".