The Road to Jerusalem (The Crusades Trilogy, #1)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Road to Jerusalem (The Crusades Trilogy #1)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 1,889 ratings · 119 reviews

In 1150 Arn Magnusson is born to an aristocratic Swedish family and spends his childhood at the Cistercian monastery of Varnhem where he is taught the best of spiritual and worldly learning. He is also trained to become a master archer and swordsman by the giant Brother Guilbert, a former knight. At seventeen, equipped to become a monk or a warrior, Arn returns home, a you...more

Published (first published 1998)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Best Middle Ages Books

110th out of 602 books — 709 voters

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

Swedish authors

28th out of 168 books — 28 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 25, 2012 Howard rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Crusades Trilogy tells the saga of Arn Magnusson in the late 12th century. The story of Arn itself is fascinating although entirely fictional. Written history of the Northern people in that time period is extremely sparse leaving much wiggle room for Jan Guillou to create a fantasy-like tale set in an extremely vivid period of history.
Although I only rated the first book "The Road to Jerusalem" with two stars I gave books 2 & 3 a better rating. The greatest strength of the trilogy is...more The Crusades Trilogy tells the saga of Arn Magnusson in the late 12th century. The story of Arn itself is fascinating although entirely fictional. Written history of the Northern people in that time period is extremely sparse leaving much wiggle room for Jan Guillou to create a fantasy-like tale set in an extremely vivid period of history.
Although I only rated the first book "The Road to Jerusalem" with two stars I gave books 2 & 3 a better rating. The greatest strength of the trilogy is its ability to seamlessly bring the reader close to the history surrounding the story of Arn (the Crusades mixed with the struggle for power in what is now modern day Sweden). At many times I felt as though the main characters were actual people.
Even though I found reading this series to be worth my time I was overall disappointed in the writing. Mr. Guillou tends to dull one of the most interesting periods in history with a monodrone style of telling events and facts as is it were a history book. The style of writing was so off-putting that is took me half of the first book to simply adapt to it. The book is about 90% narrative and description with 10% dialog and action thrown in for trimming. Thus Mr. Guillou has an ever-annoying style of telling the story & characters instead of SHOWING it. This makes the reading especially hard in the first book. There are also a few events and scenes in the series that come across as extremely coincidental or glaringly contrived.
Jan Guillou does do an excellent job however of putting the crusades into a context that simplifies/reduces (in a good way) a very touchy and not-so-simple history. I was especially impressed with his handling of the events that take place in the Holy Land at that time. It also gives the reader a great feel for what life was like not only in the Holy Land but in medieval Scandinavia as well. There are times in the series when the differences between the monks and the native Northmen are a bit exaggerated and strain author's credibility but on the whole it was decently accurate.
Overall I would recommend these books to any persons interested in the people or events of the time period (approx 1150AD to 1225AD). (less)

like · see review

Feb 05, 2012 إديث rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nordic or Saxon-based fantasy or historical novels, when written by those outside of the respective countries, tend to turn into a gamut of stereotypical scenarios involving ale and whore houses, lootin' and pillagin', and some booze fueled mano a mano manly combat, with some barbaric execution and torture practices thrown in for good measure. All this is supposed to exude that rugged sense of manhood and bonding and brotherhood that kept life going in the longhouses on the icy land. Instead the...more Nordic or Saxon-based fantasy or historical novels, when written by those outside of the respective countries, tend to turn into a gamut of stereotypical scenarios involving ale and whore houses, lootin' and pillagin', and some booze fueled mano a mano manly combat, with some barbaric execution and torture practices thrown in for good measure. All this is supposed to exude that rugged sense of manhood and bonding and brotherhood that kept life going in the longhouses on the icy land. Instead these just present a crass, stereotypical view of life in the north. In today's post-Tolkien fantasy realm (such as Game of Thrones) where the audiences crave that "gritty, realistic" factor in their stories about heroes of bygone era, I'm happy to find a story that neither whitewashes the past, but also doesn't depend on shock value or lowbrow humor to please the reader.

Instead the story moves forward through engaging dialog between characters. Sometimes the conversations help characters develop their internal compass as they grapple with decisions. Other times the dialogues are more for the reader, helping them navigate the complex ties of politics, kinship, and Nordic customs as they are happening, without resorting to a clumsy info-dump. The quasi-omniscient perspective is also used well, and it explains events according to the worldview of the person witnessing it (such as when there is a "miraculous" event), but not in a way that's pushy to the reader, but rather helps them understand the mental process of the characters better. It's also used well to introduce humor into the story, when the characters thought one way but the reader understood otherwise.

As for the plot itself. I was initially interested in reading a historical novel set during the Crusades, and was grumpy to find out that this first volume takes place entirely in medieval Sweden, and mostly concerned the childhood and youth of the protagonist Arn, as well as the clan intrigues in the country before its unification. Bah, just a bunch of longboats, long names and family lineages, and drunken swordfights >.<. And it has a cast list in the beginning organized by clans and lineage. But the author introduced the complex political tangles and clan relationships and rivalries in an engaging manner. Even the main character's youth growing up in a Cistercian monastery (what I thought would be the slowest part of the story) is very interesting. The details of everyday life, the philosophical conversations, and the personality of the brothers brought the experience to life, and makes the reader identify with Arn's spiritual upbringing and the way it shaped his outlook in the base world beyond the walls. (But then I might be more enthusiastic about monastic life than most).

The ultimate tension in this volume was how this young man would fare out in the world, where his values acquired from the brothers from the simple, cloistered life would come into tension with the practices of his kinsmen in matters such as having to choose between the comparative evils of strategic murder or even regicide, or risk inflicting greater harm through civil war; and through the process the character grows up and reconsiders his point of view. (A contemplative, self-searching protagonist - something bildungsroman heroes don't do enough, as they typically just rage or mope). In the next volume, I'd imagine this tension between what he learned inside the cloister will be found deficient against the reality as he encounters the much maligned Saracens; and yet he would preserve what the wise monks [despite their own prejudices] taught him about how man will ultimately be held accountable for exercising his own free will in matters of judgment.(less)

like · see review

Dec 09, 2011 ala' rated it 5 of 5 stars

أربع أشهر من القراءة كانت هي الفترة التي استغرقها هذا الكتاب لأنهي قرائته رغم انه لا يتجاوز ال 400 صفحة - أقل قليلا - أي أنه بحطجم أي كتاب عادي آخر أقرأه ، لكن هذا الكتاب كان مرهقا فعلا.
ينتمي الكتاب الى أدب الملاحم ، الذي لم أستسغه في أحد الأيام ، ورغم اسماء الاماكن والاشخاص المعقدة والكثيرة ، وفحوى الصراع السياسي الذي لم استطع كشف اغواره جدا ، والذي ويقف حائلا بعض الشيء بيني وبين الكتاب ، لكن المؤلف استطاع ان يقنعني بطريقة -لا أعلمها حتى اللحظة - ، الى العودة الى الكتاب في كل مرة أتركه فيها ..
و...more أربع أشهر من القراءة كانت هي الفترة التي استغرقها هذا الكتاب لأنهي قرائته رغم انه لا يتجاوز ال 400 صفحة - أقل قليلا - أي أنه بحطجم أي كتاب عادي آخر أقرأه ، لكن هذا الكتاب كان مرهقا فعلا.
ينتمي الكتاب الى أدب الملاحم ، الذي لم أستسغه في أحد الأيام ، ورغم اسماء الاماكن والاشخاص المعقدة والكثيرة ، وفحوى الصراع السياسي الذي لم استطع كشف اغواره جدا ، والذي ويقف حائلا بعض الشيء بيني وبين الكتاب ، لكن المؤلف استطاع ان يقنعني بطريقة -لا أعلمها حتى اللحظة - ، الى العودة الى الكتاب في كل مرة أتركه فيها ..
والغريب ان الكتاب كان يتسكل في اللاوعي الخاص بي ، وكأنه فيلم سينما ، بطيء الحركة ، يعرض بكل هدوء وثقة في ثنايا عقلي ..
أكثر ما جعلني مصرة على قراءة الكتاب ، هو أن الكاتب يكتب عن الحروب الصليبية من وجهة نظر الصليبين - وهو ما افترضته من العنوان - لكنه وان لم يكن قد وصل الى هذه المرحلة من الامر في ثلاثيته وانهى الكتاب دون ان يصل ارن البطل الى القدس حتى ، لكنه اسطتاع نقلي الى جو اروويا في ذلك العصر.
دائما ما قيل لنا ان اوروبا في ذلك العصر كانت تغرق بالظلام ، والحروب ، و الامر صحيح ، ولكن يبدو انني كنت بحاجة الى سماع تفصيلات الاخر ، ما يرويه تاريخهم هم لا تاريخنا نحن .
استمتعت جدا في الكتاب .. واحد من اكثر الكتب المرهقة التي قرأتها في حياتي :)
وأ‘تقد ان قرائته يجب أن تكون فرض عين على كل قارىء في الوطن العربي .. ربما لا بد من العودة الى تاريخهم بروايتهم هم أيضا ! .. ليس من الضرورة ان نلتزم برؤية واحدة للأمر ..

متشوقة جدا لقراءة بقية السلسلة ..

(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 27, 2012 Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Found the English version on Goodreads. This is the first in a trilogy (The Crusades Trilogy - The Road to Jerusalem; Templar Knight; and Birth of the Kingdom). Talking about Ivanhoe and the Crusades reminded me of this. A very good read about life in Europe and Outremer (the Holy Land) during the 12th Century. The author is Swedish best known for his crime novels. He is also a controversial figure for supporting Palestinian causes. He does attempt a balanced approach to the Crusades between the...more

like · see review

Dec 27, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-history-and-war

This book was better than I had hoped after watching the movie (good to very good) and reading the reviews (very good); I thought I would be disappointed due to high expectations, but it actually met them.

As mentioned, I watched the movie, "Arn, The Knight Templar" (thank you Amazon recommendations) and it really sparked an interest. Supposedly the movie is an abridged version of a mini-series and after reading the first book in the trilogy I wish that the mini-series was available.

Although I lo...more

like · see review

Jul 10, 2011 Flash Beagle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 2011-reviews, 2011-favorites

*Brilliant depiction of medieval times, centered in the land that would become Sweden*
Caught between the turmoil resulting from the crusades and the medieval rivalries of kings and church, a young man discovers his inheritance and sets out to realize his destiny.
In fulfillment of a promise made to God, a woman of noble means, commits her young son to the care of the Cistercian monks. The boy is Arn, and at first he is crushed to be torn away from his family. But his natural brightness, intellige...more *Brilliant depiction of medieval times, centered in the land that would become Sweden*
Caught between the turmoil resulting from the crusades and the medieval rivalries of kings and church, a young man discovers his inheritance and sets out to realize his destiny.
In fulfillment of a promise made to God, a woman of noble means, commits her young son to the care of the Cistercian monks. The boy is Arn, and at first he is crushed to be torn away from his family. But his natural brightness, intelligence, and curiosity soon have him excelling at everything the monks teach him. Brother Guilbert, a master swordsman, recognizes Arn's natural gifts of speed, balance, and dexterity, and teaches him about swordsmanship, archery, and horsemanship.
As Arn grows to adolescence, the monks realize Arn needs to experience life outside the monastery if he is to ever find out what his destiny may be. However, his sequestered life has left him completely unprepared. Honest and without guile, Arn has no idea about ulterior motives, manipulation, or political intrigue. Nor does he know he comes from a titled family. In this innocent state of mind he is sent on a homeward journey and of course immediately gets in trouble.
He encounters a bride running down the road, fleeing the oaf she must marry, and is then surrounded by the pursuing groom and his drunken friends who accuse him of being a bride robber; they are ready to cut him down. Trained in submission and prayerfulness, Arn bows his head and prays for his would-be murderers' souls. Feeling sorry for the lad, someone tosses him a heavy iron sword. Arn tries not to fight, but with his lightning fast reflexes two men end up dead. Before the bridal party can take revenge, an emotional priest runs up claiming it was a miracle, that he saw the Angel Gabriel guiding Arn's sword. Arn is allowed to leave but he is mortified at what he's done, and even after later confessing to the monastery prior, Father Henri, he is filled with remorse.
This is an example of Arn's character - a harsh judge of himself who seeks to be nonjudgmental of others. He is honest, brave, and generous - and in time he will become a brilliant knight.
When he finally arrives home, his father and brother welcome him but soon avoid him for his lack of "manly" traits, such as drunkenness, gluttony, and general rowdiness.
However, Arn's prowess with sword and bow - and his excellent horsemanship - are gradually revealed to his family, kinsmen, and enemies alike.
As his reputation spreads, he grows in stature in their eyes - yet he is nearly undone by his own naivete and suffers greatly because of jealousy.
As events move toward the Third Crusade, Arn has learned many harsh lessons yet he is becoming as strong as the tempered steel of his sword.
This is a brilliant novel - political intrigues abound - as Arn comes of age amid medieval turbulence of clan, church, and king. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Tazitazitazi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: povijesni-romani

je 3. skandinavski autor (nakon

) s kojim se susrećem u zadnje vrijeme i moram priznati da su me zainteresirali za skandinavsku književnost, jer su stilom i žanrom različiti (ne padajte na reklamni slogan ''Jo Nesbø je novi Stieg Larsson''!).
''Put u Jeruzalem'' je jedan u podužem nizu povijesnih romana koje sam pročitala u zadnje vrijeme (mislim da mi treba barem kratka pauza), pa se ne mogu oteti potrebi da ga usporedim s

.
''Put u Jeruzalem'' i ''Bijelu kraljicu'' povezuje narativan...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Brian David Bruns rated it 4 of 5 stars

A deep, penetrating look into the mindset of early Crusades-era Christians in Scandinavia. This is the first of the famed Crusader Trilogy, and really focuses on Arn as a child, complete with a major explanation of the Gotland political and religious machinations of his mother before he was born. The entire book gives a deep, penetrating, and frank view of the people and culture and attitudes of these Scandinavians. That's really what it's about. That, and an equally exhaustive explanation of wh...more

like · see review

Nov 15, 2011 James rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2011

This book would probably have earned an additional star if its title actually related somewhat more to its contents. It suggests that we're on a journey that will lead us to Jerusalem, and while that might be the case for later books in the trilogy, it's completely erroneous for this book. I don't want to give too much away, but even by the end of this book, our main character is not on a journey to Jerusalem. Instead, he's on the road to Rome.

Arn is a compelling character, and I still enjoyed t...more

like · see review

Jun 20, 2009 Amanda Lueck rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was another of the Swedish books to prepare us for Sweden. WOW! I enjoyed this more than I thought. I loved the dark Goths of southern Sweden with their Beowulf-y ways, and then I loved the contrast of the Cistercian monks and their French-y, Christian ways, and then I loved the way the two cultures were clashing and using each other in the late 1100s. I thought Arn might be a little too simpering, but instead I found his naivete truly appealing and understandable, again due to that extreme...more

like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Luka Novak rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-ages

I liked this book because it shows society different than usual feudal France or England. Instead we have Swedes who are organised along clan lines and not so much along feudal obligations.

Book shows interesting view of medieval Sweden that has still not shaken off its pagan past and than resists being unified under far off king. However new ways are comming and our protagonists are caught in them.

However Guillou falls in trap so often seen by people writing about these past events. His main cha...more

like · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Fernanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Hristina Ivanova rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

It was the first time I read Guillou and I liked the book.At times it reminded me very much of The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet,which I loved. The story was left unfinished,which was also good,because I hate when on one side you have a trilogy,but then every book has its own story and they can be read separately. The story went quickly enough,there was this love story and Arn confusing with the 'outside' world,which I found amusing. Also,this is the first historical novel,based in Northern...more

like · see review

Dec 25, 2012 Raivo Verk rated it 4 of 5 stars

I remember finding this book years ago, when I still went to high school. This was probably the first trilogy I ever read, if I'm not mistaken.

The story pulled me in straight away, very well written in my opinion. Couldn't put the book down before all three were read. Loved it.

This was actually the first trilogy I read twice too, that's how much I liked it.

The second book might be the most interesting one, though I might be off, since it has been a while. But the main character, Arn, is very int...more

like · see review

May 11, 2011 Coligne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tea, romanzo, storico, delle, crociate

Ero un po indeciso sul voto da dare a questo romanzo, l'altalenante qualità della trama non mi ha fatto apprezzare come meriterebbe il libro.
Vi erano interi passaggi che al lettore potrebbero sembrare pesanti, se non noiosi; alternati da parti la cui scorrevolezza del racconto fa quasi pensare che la stessa mano non possa aver scritto le pagine così "insipide" incontrate poco prima...

La correttezza storica della trama, o per meglio dire, dell'ambientazione-la Svezia del XII secolo-non la posso g

...more

like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Isidor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-medieval, novels-historical, scandinavian-authors

This is the story of Arn Magnusson, second son of Swedish nobleman Magnus Folkesson. After God saved his life when he had a severe accident, Arn is pledged to a monastery by his parents. In the Cistercian monastery of Varnhem, Arn receives a thorough education not only in theology, philosophy and chanting, but also in the arts of blacksmithing, sword-fight and horse-riding. To his horror, after ten years of monastic life Arn is sent back to the "lower world" – the world of noblemen and peasants...more

like · see review

Sep 29, 2012 Caroline Olsson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Seg början så fösta gången jag läste den la jag ifrån mig den efter första kapitlet, men testade igen efter ett år. Samma sak, tyckte början var seg men efter en bit in i boken var jag fast och har inte velat lägga ifrån mig den. Efter denna läste jag snabbt igenom fortsättningarna och jag älskade dom allihop! <3

Slow in the beginning so I put it away the firt time I read it and gave up after the first chapter. But when I started to read it again after a year or so and read more than one chapt...more

like · see review

Feb 15, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This is the first in a trilogy (The Crusades Trilogy - The Road to Jerusalem; Templar Knight; and Birth of the Kingdom).

I will admit I had little knowledge of Scandinavian history prior to reading this book. Though I consider myself a history buff in general which partly drew me to this title. I had been wanting to learn about the history of this region for quite some time. It took me a little longer to get through this book than I would have liked but I would say I enjoyed it overall. The book...more

like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Janne Paananen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1100-luvun pohjolaan sijoittuva Arnin kasvutarina alkaa hieman raskaan ja kankean oloisesti, mutta muuttuu paremmaksi sivu sivulta. Tämä lataa kohtuulliset odotukset trilogian seuraavalle osalle. Lapsesta asti luostarissa eläneelle Arnille on Jumala suonut suuren tehtävän, mutta minkä? Tämän erityisen lahjakkaan ja kirkasotsaisen nuorukaisen paikka ei kuitenkaan ole luostarissa. Isä Guilbertille se on selvää tarinan alusta lähtien, mutta Arnille se selviää vasta 17 vuoden iässä. Näihin vähäisiin...more

like · see review

Apr 10, 2011 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well-written, sweeping historical epic about a young Swedish nobleman who goes to the Holy Land as a Crusader during the High Middle Ages. This book, the first in the trilogy, deals with the main character's upbringing and the events that led him to become a knight. Although this book did not have as much in-depth character description/development as I'd like, the author did a wonderful job of describing the period and making it seem very realistic. I also found the Scandanavian perspective very...more

1 like · like · see review

May 23, 2012 Owein Herrmann rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who enjoyed Bernard Cornwells Saxon Series

I enjoyed this book. I would put it about on par with Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories. It is the story of a young Gothic noble, Arn Magnusson, living in what is present-day Sweden. After a near-fatal accident, his life is promised to the church. His parents deliver him to a monastery where he is raised by French Cistercian monks who train him in religious and worldly knowledge. The monks teach him skills that surpass the knowledge of his northern compatriots, as well as introduce him to Europea...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Judith Geary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book took a while to get involved in. At first the prose seemed a bit awkward and the descriptions contained a few anachronisms (which I attributed to the translator, perhaps.) However, I asked a friend who had read it in the original Swedish, and she said she hadn't finished it. By about the middle, however, I found myself coming to care about the charactors and what happened to them. The book details the main character's life before he starts on crusade so it actually ends with the road t...more

like · see review

Aug 08, 2009 Angie Bollard rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was about the Crusades and that's why I read it because I know very little about this time period. It turned out to be a lead up book to the Crusades. With that said, it was still a very good book. The hero of the book was from Svealand and Gotaland (Sweden)and learning about the culture of the North was very interesting. In addition to the history, the story is just compelling and the characters are realistic. The author did such a great job making history a living breathin...more

like · see review

Nov 22, 2012 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, bought-new, owned-tbr, 2012, original-language-swedish, historical, setting-sweden

I really, really really enjoyed this book. It is simply a good story and it came at a time when I wanted a good historical novel that wasn’t too heavy or high brow. The Road to Jerusalem is a Swedish historical novel.

The style in which it is written may not suit some as it broke the rule of ‘show and not tell’. Guillou instead used very little dialogue and instead reported what happened in a rather relaxed narration. It is from the perspective of an author who already knows the outcome and is me...more I really, really really enjoyed this book. It is simply a good story and it came at a time when I wanted a good historical novel that wasn’t too heavy or high brow. The Road to Jerusalem is a Swedish historical novel.

The style in which it is written may not suit some as it broke the rule of ‘show and not tell’. Guillou instead used very little dialogue and instead reported what happened in a rather relaxed narration. It is from the perspective of an author who already knows the outcome and is merely relating the story to the listener.

The story reminds me a little of The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, with the monks, Christianity and mention of stone masons from Briton! It also reminded me of Brethren by Robyn Young, as both books are quite similar in storyline. Both books are the first in a trilogy that starts off in a monastery, that is about the Crusades and the Templar Knights and also involves a forbidden love.

The difference is that Brethren is a load of drivel and whilst The Road to Jerusalem may not have the most elegant style of writing, at least Guillou did not resort to maidens dressed in white, transporting apples around in her skirts who then dropped them right in front of the hero of the story.

What I liked about this book mainly is seeing a part of history from a different country’s perspective. Sweden is of course not Sweden as we know it today and part of what this novel sets up is the battles between the men who are vying to become King and unite the lands of Götaland and Svealand.

Guillou created a historic world that felt real and believable. Of course, I do not know a great deal about Scandinavian history so naturally I do not know how accurate this is as a historical novel – but it felt believable. I felt as if I was in medieval Scandinavia and I believed in the characters. I enjoyed both the religious and the political aspects of the story.

I think that historical novels should adhere to history as much as possible, but of course it is impossible to always be accurate. For one thing authors are not historians and there has to be an element of dramatic license, at least in presenting a likeable main character whom an audience can relate to and a world easy and simple enough for most readers to understand without needing to be historians themselves.

I reached the end with my heart bursting to read the second novel, which I have since ordered and can’t wait to get my hands on. I am terrible usually with series because it can take me years to get around to reading the next in line – but I am determined that this won’t be the case with these books. I want to find out what happens next to Arn.

There is a movie based on this trilogy which I haven’t seen yet. In fact, it was the film that lead me to finding out about this book. I look forward to seeing how it translates to film, especially as one of the actresses is Sofia Helin, from the Swedish/Danish TV crime series The Bridge.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 17, 2009 Alex Telander rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2009

As a medieval historian and a big fan of historical fiction, family members from Sweden have been telling me for years to learn some Swedish so I can enjoy the fabulous bestselling Crusades Trilogy from Swedish author Jan Guillou. I still have yet to improve my language beyond basic Swedish, fortunately this isn’t a problem anymore. The first book in the trilogy, The Road to Jerusalem, which has done very well in Europe also, is now available in English to American readers.

The title may be some...more As a medieval historian and a big fan of historical fiction, family members from Sweden have been telling me for years to learn some Swedish so I can enjoy the fabulous bestselling Crusades Trilogy from Swedish author Jan Guillou. I still have yet to improve my language beyond basic Swedish, fortunately this isn’t a problem anymore. The first book in the trilogy, The Road to Jerusalem, which has done very well in Europe also, is now available in English to American readers.

The title may be somewhat of a misnomer, with an emphasis on “road to,” as the main characters never even make it near to the Holy Land. However as this is a trilogy, readers know they’ll get there eventually. In this first book, the year is 1150, and readers are introduced to Arn Magnusson, a boy of noble birth who is sent to a cloister where he learns the ways of the church, as well as some expert training in weaponry and horse riding from a master. Eventually leaving the cloister, Arn is reunited with his family who is expecting a humble monk, find a powerful, but pious warrior. After committing and being charged with a grave sin, he is forced to become a member of the Knights Templar at the end of the book.

On the surface this seems a simple story, and readers may have a little trouble with the many Swedish names and words (a pronunciation guide would’ve been helpful; fortunately I at least know how to sound those foreign letters: å sounds like “awe,” ä with a soft “e” sound like “egg,” ö and ø [ø is the equivalent in the Norwegian and Danish alphabets:] have an “er” sound), but Guillou does an incredible job of analyzing and revealing medieval twelfth-century life in Scandinavia. In the style of Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, Guillou isn’t obvious and overbearing with the history, but reveals it through plot and story, allowing readers to make deductions for themselves. And for those who’ve seen the Swedish tre kronor or three crown flag and symbol prevalent throughout Sweden will have their questions answered in The Road to Jerusalem.

Guillou probably could’ve combined the trilogy into once massive book à la Ken Follett, but instead you have a fun trilogy that begins with a strong foundation and background for those not too familiar with the period and area, continuing in the second book, The Templar Knight, due out May 2010.

For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.(less)

like · see review

Apr 11, 2008 Maria marked it as to-read

En el año de gracia de 1150 nace, en la tierra de Gothia, Arn Magnusson, hijo de dos importantes estirpes emparentadas con los linajes reales noruegos y suecos, y educado por unos monjes. Años más tarde, como castigo por una pasión carnal, Arn es condenado por la Iglesia a convertirse en caballero templario en Tierra Santa. Comienza su camino a Jerusalén y diez años después, convertido ya en un aguerrido veterano de los cruzados, salva la vida a Saladino, el hombre que ha jurado liberar la Ciuda...more

like · see review

Jan 12, 2011 Armyeric rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved this book. Although I prefer the SciFi genre, my reading has broadened a bit as of late, and I found this book entertaining and hard to put down. If I am really into a book, I can block out the world around me; such was the case with this book and much to the irritation of my wife. I look forward to reading the other two books and will probably attempt to purchase all the books in hardbound.

I initially watched the Americanized (?) movie before reading this, which I thought was also good.

like · see review

Dec 05, 2009 Bettie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, adventure, books-with-a-passport

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

May 27, 2010 Joey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this is my first taste of Swedish historical fiction and I loved it! The author creatively describes and gives understanding to the clans and all of the political climate of the time. I also enjoyed learning how the monesteries and convents had such an effect of knowledge and hygiene among the people that I could almost forgive them for being so evil in very nature. The main characters are very endearing and make you want to read the next in the series!

like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Frank Debaere rated it 3 of 5 stars

Niet zozeer mooi, als wel een interessant boek.
Niet zozeer een roman over het leven van Arn Magnusson, als wel een boek waarin de politieke verhoudingen in de scandinavische regio omtrent 1150 worden beschreven, met veel aandacht voor het kloosterleven.

De titel lijkt de lading niet te dekken. Pas op de laatste bladzijde wordt duidelijk dat Arn Magnusson bij wijze van boetedoening naar Jeruzalem moet trekken.

Ik denk niet dat ik delen 2 en 3 ga lezen, dat ik eerder naar de video ga kijken.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Wrong information on book	3	45	Feb 27, 2012 10:02am

combine
Other Editions (59)

More editions...

Genres

Historical Fiction

50 users

Historical Fiction > Medieval

12 users

European Literature > Swedish Literature

11 users

European Literature > Scandinavian Literature

8 users

Fantasy

6 users

Cultural > Sweden

6 users

Adventure

6 users

European Literature > Danish

5 users

Thriller

4 users

Novels

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Crusade
by Robyn Young
White Jacket or, the World on a Man-of-War
by Herman Melville
The Mosaic of Shadows
by Tom Harper
The Last Templar
by Michael Jecks
Attila
by William Napier

About Jan Guillou

Jan Oscar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou (born 17 January 1944) is a Swedish author and journalist. Among his books are a series of spy fiction novels about a spy named Carl Hamilton, and a trilogy of historical fiction novels about a Knight Templar, Arn Magnusson. He is the owner of one of the largest publishing companies in Sweden, Piratförlaget, together with Liza Marklund and his common-law wife,...more

More about Jan Guillou...

Books by Jan Guillou

The Knight Templar (The Crusades Trilogy, #2)

The Kingdom at the End of the Road (The Crusades Trilogy, #3)

Arvet efter Arn (The Crusades Trilogy, #4)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Put u Jeruzalem

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Road to Jerusalem
avg rating	preview: The Road to Jerusalem Goodreads rating: 3.94 (1889 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25884.The_Road_to_Jerusalem?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330851770l/25884.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25884.The_Road_to_Jerusalem?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Road to Jerusalem by Jan Guillou[/url]

The Road to Jerusalem (The Crusades Trilogy #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website