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 ...
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Jan 29, 2012
Coligne
rated it: 
Decisamente migliore del precedente, non ci sono quei punti morti che avevano penalizzato il primo volume della saga. Il libro scorre veloce, senza rallentamenti, complice una trama ben congegnata, avvincente e carica di emozioni.
Tra i personaggi meglio riusciti del libro spicca il Saladino, probabilmente il personaggio migliore del romanzo, che mette in ombra anche il protagonista. Interessante, e originale, il punto di vista di Guillou sulle Crociate, che fa esprimere per mezzo della voce narr More...
Tra i personaggi meglio riusciti del libro spicca il Saladino, probabilmente il personaggio migliore del romanzo, che mette in ombra anche il protagonista. Interessante, e originale, il punto di vista di Guillou sulle Crociate, che fa esprimere per mezzo della voce narr More...
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Feb 05, 2012
إديث
rated it: 
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
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Dec 09, 2011
ala'
rated it:
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 فيه More...
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 فيه More...
Dec 27, 2011
Brian
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Jul 10, 2011
Flash Beagle
rated it:
*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 brightnes More...
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 brightnes More...
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Sep 20, 2011
Tazitazitazi
rated it: 
je 3. skandinavski autor (nakon 
i 
) 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
i 
.''Put u Jeruzalem'' i ''Bijelu kraljicu'' povezuje nar More...
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Nov 15, 2011
James
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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 sti More...
Arn is a compelling character, and I sti More...
Jun 20, 2009
Amanda Lueck
rated it:
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
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May 11, 2011
Coligne
rated it:
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...</p>
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...</p>
La correttezza storica della trama, o per meglio dire, dell'ambientazione-la Svezia del XII s
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Jan 27, 2012
Brian
rated it:
The final book of the trilogy was not as good as the second but still very, very good.
My overall rating on the trilogy is a solid 4; the first was good, the second was excellent and the third very good. As I mentioned in the review of the first, I saw the movie (condensed version of the Swedish mini-series) and really enjoyed it; now I am glad that I saw it before I read the series, because it would have been a big disappointment. I hope that they release the mini-series sometime in More...
My overall rating on the trilogy is a solid 4; the first was good, the second was excellent and the third very good. As I mentioned in the review of the first, I saw the movie (condensed version of the Swedish mini-series) and really enjoyed it; now I am glad that I saw it before I read the series, because it would have been a big disappointment. I hope that they release the mini-series sometime in More...
Apr 10, 2011
Diane
rated it:
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 v
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Aug 08, 2009
Angie
rated it:
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
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Jan 27, 2012
Christina
rated it:
An enjoyable tale. I liked the way the male and female story lines whent back and forth. I also enjoyed the character development and especially Celcelia Blanca's personality. Although, I do think it's clear the book was written by a man and not a mom. I am not sure how Celcelia rosa could pass any day with out feelings of horrible lose for the child taken from her. Nthe reunion is well done, but in think more time should have been spent on her feelings of loss for the child and just longing
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Jan 27, 2012
Kasia
rated it:
*I won this on Goodreads* This is book three of the Crusaders Trilogy, yet it stands alone quite well. I found this story to be simply amazing, even though I haven't read the first two (which I will now). Arn de Gotha is a warrior of the Knights Templar who returns home from the Holy Land after being gone for twenty years. He was serving penance for sleeping with the love of his life before they were married, and was sent away, but not before swearing to Celia that if he returned, he would marry
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Jan 27, 2012
Joey
rated it:
This is a fascinating historical and fictional work! I really enjoyed learning about life in the 1100's in the convents and monesteries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland and in particular with this book, the life of the crusaders in the holy land. The way the author weaves his story of the main character Arn around all of the pivotal events and politics of that day both in Jerusalem and Europe is amazing. He makes the characters so compelling that as you are reading about Arn's life in the holy
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Nov 17, 2009
Alex
rated it:
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 ti More...
The ti More...
Apr 11, 2008
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
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Jan 12, 2011
Armyeric
rated it:
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 More...
I initially watched the Americanized (?) movie before reading this, which I thought More...
May 08, 2010
Bettie
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 27, 2010
Joey
rated it:
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!
Jan 04, 2011
Francois
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Wanted to pick up a book written by a Swede in order to prepare for an upcoming trip to Sweden. Sure, I could have picked up a book with a story set in contemporary Sweden (Like The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo), but the Crusades have always fascinated me and there was my chance to learn more about them (and Sweden)!
I fell in love with Arm, the main character. The story dragged a little bit but once I started to get into the political intrigue, I was hooked.
I fell in love with Arm, the main character. The story dragged a little bit but once I started to get into the political intrigue, I was hooked.
Jan 27, 2012
Maddy
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PROTAGONIST: Arn Magnusson, Templar Knight, and Cecilia Rosa, convent resident
SERIES: #2 of 3
RATING: 4.0
WHY: I received this book for review and thought for sure that it would not be my cup of tea, as I am not really in to historicals. After I read it for a while, I realized that it wasn't even crime fiction; but by then, I was involved in the book. The second book in a trilogy, the focus shifts from Cecilia Rosa who is serving a 20-year penance in a convent for being an unw More...
SERIES: #2 of 3
RATING: 4.0
WHY: I received this book for review and thought for sure that it would not be my cup of tea, as I am not really in to historicals. After I read it for a while, I realized that it wasn't even crime fiction; but by then, I was involved in the book. The second book in a trilogy, the focus shifts from Cecilia Rosa who is serving a 20-year penance in a convent for being an unw More...
Jan 27, 2012
Kitty
rated it:
"BIRTH OF THE KINGDOM" BY JAN GUILLOU
This historic tale highlights the last few years of the life of a Templar Knight named Arn Magnusson. After completing his service to God he returns to his beloved homeland to begin life anew and bring peace to all. Bringing with him craftsmen and doctors from the Holy City of Jerusalem he takes us on his journey to find his beloved Cecilia, learning about a son he has never met, and creating a new society of both Christians and Muslims.
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This historic tale highlights the last few years of the life of a Templar Knight named Arn Magnusson. After completing his service to God he returns to his beloved homeland to begin life anew and bring peace to all. Bringing with him craftsmen and doctors from the Holy City of Jerusalem he takes us on his journey to find his beloved Cecilia, learning about a son he has never met, and creating a new society of both Christians and Muslims.
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Jan 05, 2010
Pilvi
rated it:
Kirjassa kuvataan sekä viihdyttävää Arnin tarinaa että Ruotsin historiaa samaan aikaan. Faktan ja fiktion yhdistäminen on käynyt hyvin ja tarina etenee jouhevasti. Kirja tarjoaa monenlaisia mielenkiintoisia seikkoja historiasta.
Vaikka Arnin kasvatusta luostarissa kuvataan kattavana ja erinomaisena verrattuna siihen kasvatukseen, mitä muut saavat, on Arnin kasvatus kuitenkin vaillinaista. Jos pojan tulevaisuus ei ollut selvillä, mikseivät munkit kasvattaneet poikaa myös tavallisen maa More...
Vaikka Arnin kasvatusta luostarissa kuvataan kattavana ja erinomaisena verrattuna siihen kasvatukseen, mitä muut saavat, on Arnin kasvatus kuitenkin vaillinaista. Jos pojan tulevaisuus ei ollut selvillä, mikseivät munkit kasvattaneet poikaa myös tavallisen maa More...
Jun 22, 2009
Debby
rated it:
This is an historical novel set in 12th century Sweden and the 1st book in a trilogy about the Crusades. The history and characters are interesting - and no detailed battle scenes so far. The descriptions are more of monastic life and castle life, and show how much more advanced the monks of that time were compared to the surrounding population.
Mar 16, 2009
Siri
rated it:
Denne flotte trilogien om Arn, er fortsatt blant mine favoritter! Alle 3 bøkene bør leses! Guillou har en fantastisk evne til å skape flotte personskildringer i en vev av historiske hendelser, kjærlighet, maktspill og intriger her; fra Tempelriddernes tid (tidlig på 1100-tallet).
Sep 25, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
The 4 stars is for the last half of the book, which I thought was much better then most of the first half of the book. I don't know much about Swedish history at all and while it is fiction, I learned a bit.
I agonized about the ending. Why? I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I agonized about the ending. Why? I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Jan 11, 2011
Janet
rated it:
The names of people and places in this book were forever tripping me up. I know absolutely zilch about the history of Sweden (or was it supposed to be Norway? Iceland?) and I have no idea if this is historical fiction or something made completely of whole cloth. Probably I won’t be reading the next book.
Jul 26, 2011
Sherry
rated it:
This book was a bit slow to start and there are some tedious points during Arn's education. My reading gained speed at about mid point and I found my interest piqued.
The story really feels like it is less of a book in itself that can stand alone than of the buildup to the actual novel.
Prepare yourself to read the entire trilogy.
The story really feels like it is less of a book in itself that can stand alone than of the buildup to the actual novel.
Prepare yourself to read the entire trilogy.
Oct 26, 2009
Pauline
rated it:
I have read both book 1 and 2 of this trilogy and enjoyed them both immensely, but suggest book 2 to be the better.
Guillou is clever at bringing the characters off the page.
Am looking forward to reading the last instalment - if I can find one.
Guillou is clever at bringing the characters off the page.
Am looking forward to reading the last instalment - if I can find one.
