The Road to Jerusalem: Book One of the Crusades Trilogy » (Translation)

Swedish-born journalist Jan Guillou is the creator of the two most successful Swedish works of fiction of all time: the Hamilton series and the Crusades Trilogy. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. He lives in Stockholm.

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.

The Washington Post - Diana Gabaldon

…a great book…Despite the intricate plot, The Road to Jerusalem is a surprisingly understated book overall. Skillfully written and translated, it's detailed, but sparingly so…[Guillou] has a remarkable grasp of the mind-set of the period and always puts the emphasis where it would be for the people involved at that time, rather than ours. Some readers may find that disorienting, but a capacity for disturbing readers' assumptions is even more a hallmark of good historical fiction than the inclusion of the Knights Templar.