PDF The Legends of the Jews: From Moses to Esther: Notes for Volumes 3 and 4 (Volume 6) by Louis Ginzberg in History

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The Sword and the Cross takes us to the Sahara at the end of the nineteenth century; when the desert remained largely unexplored by Europeans. But France; which had seized Algeria in 1830; had designs on this hostile wilderness. Charles de Foucauld and Henri Laperrine; two friends; were part of this conquest. The one a layabout and womanizer; the other a stern career soldier; each found his vocation in the desert. Foucauld abandoned his decadent lifestyle and founded a severe monastic order. Living off dates and barley; the gourmand became a sun-baked scarecrow; thought by many to be a saint. Yet he remained a committed imperialist; and continued to assist the military. Laperrine founded a camel corps whose exploits became legendary. Surviving on dates and water; he led his men across the desert as Foucauld; guide and interpreter; trudged along reciting prayers. When the Sahara's fragile peace crumbled during World War I; Foucauld paid a tragic price for his role as imperial pawn. Laperrine; by then recalled to the Western Front; returned to avenge his friend. A haunting narrative of a forgotten period in Europe's colonial crusade; this is also a story of hatred and friendship; discovery and delusion.