The Road to Jerusalem - (Crusades Trilogy) by Jan Guillou (Paperback)

About the Book

In the tradition of Bernard Cornwell comes the first installment in the international bestselling Crusades trilogy--a thrilling, epic story of fate, love, and war set in 12th-century Europe and the Holy Land.

From the Back Cover

For power. For passion. For glory.

The epic story of the Knights Templar.

Born in 1150 to a noble Swedish family and coming of age at a monastery under the tutelage of a Cistercian monk and a former Knight Templar, young Arn Magnusson is sent to fulfill his destiny beyond the cloister walls. But the world awaiting him is a place at odds with his monastic ways. And when the murder of a king engulfs Western Götaland into a whirlwind of intrigue and ruthless power plays, headstrong and naive Arn is forced to leave the woman he loves behind and take up arms to battle infidels in the Holy Land.

The first book in the international bestselling Crusades Trilogy, this thrilling epic of betrayal, faith, blood, and love sets "a Shakespearian quest for power" (Corriere della Sera, Italy) against the backdrop of the Holy Wars, witnessed through a vibrant, unorthodox lens.

Review Quotes

"It is thrilling and inspiring; bloody and romantic; utterly of the time it is set in, and utterly of the modern. A thoroughly stirring achievement." - Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: the Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic
"One of the greatest historical novels to come out of Scandinavia in recent years." - Le Monde
"Destined to become a classic, The Road to Jerusalem is a brilliant, dramatic recreation of the medieval world, offering suspense, intrigue, a touching love story, and an extremely appealing young hero. I cannot recommend this book highly enough." - Sharon Kay Penman, New York Times bestselling author of Devil's Brood
"Fans of historical fiction--particularly those with an interest in Crusades era material--simply must read The Road to Jerusalem. The huge international following this series has attracted will only continue to grow." - January Magazine
"A resolutely medieval world-bleak, hidebound, saturated with religious faith, full of both miracles and almost untraceably complex political intrigue-but one shaped with enough compassion and skill to appeal to contemporary readers, who will be eagerly awaiting the next volume of the saga." - Kirkus Reviews