The Yellow Cross (Paperback)

Paperback. The Yellow Cross is a harrowing tale of a desperate people in a small corner of France who defied the kings of Europe and the Pope. The Cathars, whose religion was based on the Gospels but contradicted the tenets set forth by Rome, found themselves the focus of ruthless repression. In systematic waves of brutal persecution, thousands of Cathars were captured, summarily tried, and burned at the stake as heretics. Yet so ardent was their faith that during the years 1290 to 1329, the Cathars rose up one last time. Rene Weis tells the dramatic and moving story of these thirty years, offering a rich medieval tale of faith, adventure, sex, and courage. Having spent years exploring a rich trove of untouched information, including trial records and interrogation transcripts, Weis creates a remarkably detailed portrait of the last great gasp of the movement and the day-to-day life of the individual Cathars in their villages. This is an exceptionally vivid re-creation of a fascinating, and otherwise lost, world. Remarkable for both its details about life in a medieval village and the tragic story it recounts, "The Yellow Cross" is an achievement of scholarship and historical narrative. The author re-creates the Cathars' final struggle and offers a moving portrait of a people and their day-to-day lives. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…