| THE CRUSADE by David Whittaker |
| Story 14 Synopsis: The TARDIS lands in a glade, during the Third Crusade. Barbara is kidnapped by servants of the Sultan, Saladin. The Doctor decides the best answer is to get help from King Richard the Lionheart, but he is angry with Saladin, and refuses. The Doctor changes his mind, and the King knights Ian as "Sir Ian of Jaffa". Ian rides to Saladin's court, but Barbara has upset El Akir, one of Saladin's allies, and he has taken her to Lydda. Ian travels to rescue her. Meanwhile, Richard plans to wed his sister, Joanna, to Saladin's brother, Saphadin. Joanna objects to this. The Doctor makes an enemy of the Earl of Leicester, and he and Vicki flee Richard's court. Ian has trouble with a bandit, but finally reached Lydda, where he rescues Barbara and returns to the glade. There he saves the Doctor from an execution, and all slip into the TARDIS and away. |
| Review:- From the wilds of Vortis, to a different kind of alien land... and a compelling peek at a lesser known piece of history. King Richard the Lionheart is one of the more famous historical figures that the time travellers had so far met, and he doesn't quite live up to reputation, being a spoilt child who loses his temper easily, and sulks when people won't play his games. It's really a story of two halves, as was The Romans. Barbara is swiftly captured, and it doesn't take long for Ian to get off to rescue her. Meanwhile the Doctor and Vicki rub shoulders with the famous, get into trouble and skedaddle. With Saladin presented as a human character, and Richard as less than likeable, it can be argued that this story treads carefully in representing a thorny issue. Further, Saphadin is also decent, whereas some of Richard's men are clearly obsessed with their jobs, regardless of who their enemy is. However, when all's said and done, Ian is the hero, and El Akir is a slimy villain. It's quite a tidy adventure, rather average. EDIT- Having now seen (and heard) the whole story, I'm not sure there is much to change in this. Richard isn't quite so petulant all the time, and it's clear that he and Saladin could sort out their differences man to man, but are surrounded by the expectation of war. Joanna in particular seems the most tragic, although it would be unfair to wonder why she doesn't take a 21st century standpoint, even meeting Saphadin could save countless lives. A complex story with wonderful discussive dialogue, this is well worth checking out. |
| Disclaimer: I've read the book, and have now seen the audio/video version. |