Book One of the Crusades Trilogy - The Road to Jerusalem

The translation is very much like reading a technical paper. Too formal. The English translation should have translated again by someone who is English or American. The story is OK although the relationships became so convoluted that I needed a family tree and roadmap to keep track. Also, the title gives the wrong impression. It should be The Road to Rome because no one ever goes to Jerusalem.

a good book, entertaining but quite slow. also, the title may be a little misleading. it is more of a "nordic" book of love in the time of the crusades than a book of crusaders. it is not bad but if you expect a book about the crusades, this is not it. book 2 of this "saga" is the one. this book is about why the hero (Arn) is to go to the middle east.

I picked up this book after watching the Arn series on Netflix. As a huge fan of the era I found the story a great and entertaining read. It did however take me a bit to adjust to the flow and rhythm (or lack thereof) of this translation. I feel the translation could have been much better. Fortunately that did not take away from the story itself and once I adjusted to the style I found the read a great one.

Highly recommend it!

Now on to book two in this trilogy!

love the mixture of historical fact and romantic fiction. love the author's style of writing. i had already read book two and liked this one better, on to the 3d one. the book condition was new as listed but it took the full allotted time to arrive, over two weeks so i consider the service only fair.

I was introduce to the historical fiction genre through Ken Follet's books and I just couldn't put them down. This one is okay but characters aren't as well developed as in some of the other books. The entire book revolves around one gifted boy.

This book bored me to distraction. I love historical fiction and am very familiar with this part of Sweden. But, really?? I just couldn't get into this book. Found it poorly written and difficult to read. I had come across the second book of the Trilogy, but decided to start with Book 1. I probably won't bother with any of them now.

This is a compelling, engrossing story about three characters: Arn Magnusson - a boy who is placed in a monastery and is trained to become a warrior by a former Templar knight; his love interest, Cecilia Algotsdotter (who is a simple woman and who has a much larger role in the later books) - and above all about the early birth of the Kingdom of Sweden. This book takes place in the 1100's, when Sweden had competing clans and lands. Much of the book is about the Folkung clan, one of whom is Arn, and their relations with the other clans and the Church.

This is not a war-action novel, but the first book of a great epic. This is, in many ways, a prologue to the second book which focuses on Arn's 20 so years in the Holy Land as a knight Templar. This first is interesting and, after the first few chapters, enjoyable, because it is about life in medieval Sweden, and as I previously said the birth of Sweden. I am no expert in Swedish history, but I do know that many of the characters mentioned in the book, as well as the places, did exist. Most medieval era stories about Scandinavia tend to focus on the pagan Vikings - but this book has no real reference to the pagan days, with all of the Scandinavians devout Latin Christians under the influence of the Church (by Latin, I do not mean they speak Latin but in contrast to Orthodox).

The trilogy is a hero's journey. Like many an archetypal hero his journey is indirect, guided by older and wiser men (and women), and reluctant. Arn's only desire is to live a happy life, but repeated personal tragedies as well as Swedish politics send him not to a nice, quiet farm life but, as the title says, on the Path to Jerusalem.

This trilogy were a small phenomenon in Sweden; not only because of the historical and geographical basis, but also because the character building is compelling and, for better or worse, generally detailed and drawn out.

On a final note, the author is a controversial figure, with innumerable extremist views - but none of these are clearly apparent in this book, and while sympathetic to Muslims in later books there is not really an extreme anti-Western slant. At worst he perpetuates the idea that Saladin was honorable, generous, and intelligent - which in fact history seems to substantiate... but all of this is in the second book - the Knight Templar.

A Danish / Norwegian friend recommended this title to me after we had been discussing another medieval history fiction author. I have all of that authors works to date (Jecks; British). I decided to give this (The Road to Jerusalem) a try especially out of courtesy to my friend. I found that the author, Guillou, pays great attention to detail both historical and in the writing of a story within the historical framework. I have seen some reviews that claimed this title to be boring which may be a readers problem rather than a writers problem. If you are detail oriented, I would think that this is a book to try. I read it, taking my time, in a few days. I just finished placing my order for #2 and #3 of the trilogy because of the enjoyable read that #1 proved to be. If you decide to give it a try, I hope you will enjoy the reading as much as I have!

Historical novel: a young boy in 12th-century Sweden grows up in a Cistercian monastery; owing to his natural talent and intelligence, and the Cistercians' wisdom and teaching, he grows up skilled in all sorts of practical crafts and also (thanks to one monk who's an ex-Templar) a master fighter, but completely innocent in the ways of the world. Released from the monastery, he quickly gets swept up in political and romantic hurly-burly and has to learn fast. Which he doesn't do quite fast enough, and at the end of the book he is sent off into penitential exile to become a crusading Templar himself. Which wasn't a terribly rude surprise, as it was clear on the cover that this is just the first book of a trilogy.

The historical content, the research, is excellent as far as I can tell: in-dialogue references to Perceval, while extremely apt, were the only anachronism that leapt out at me. The storyline is fairly straightforward, nothing especially complex or Machiavellian, and the writing style is very clear. The characters and the characterization are well-written and probably the book's best feature, although the protagonist Arn is maybe just a little too good to be true - Guillou is prone to "Mary Sue" characters in some of his other books as well. Steven Murray's translation is faithful and clear; I only noticed one idiom he stumbled badly over (plus the odd way he tried to translate Edessa as Odessa).

This book promises good things for the trilogy as a whole, but by itself it is so incomplete, so obviously just a prologue, that it rates slightly lower as a stand-alone.

In 1150, Sigrid, a woman troubled by her pregnancy, makes a bargain with God. Later when her son Arn Magnusson miraculously recovers from a fall, she has a vision that forever changes the life of her second son, her family's business and even the future of her land, a land that will later become known as Sweden. She sends her son to Varnhem monastery where he will spend his life in the service of God. Cistercian monk Father Henri takes Arn under his wing, teaching him Aristotle while Brother Guilbert, a former Knight's Templar, teaches Arn the art of warfare. Convinced that God has a plan for Arn, the brothers feel their duty is to train him for all possibilities, including a life beyond the monastery's walls. When they send him out into the world, Arn meets and falls in love with Cecilia. The murder of a king embroils the land in intrigue in which lords from the east and west battle one another for power, but perhaps worse than the lords are the women whose secretive battle for power ensnares Arn. A momentary indiscretion will lead to a series of events that lead Arn away from home to battle in the Crusades.

Swedish author Jan Guillou's THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM leads into the Crusades Trilogy with a medieval coming of age story of the main hero, Arn Magnusson. The first book in the series focuses on the development of the main character's spiritual and military growth while his love interest marks his growth from a boy to a man. As part of the western Gotaland Folkung clan, Arn's life is situated within the larger historical context of the story of the Svealand Erik clan and the eastern Gotaland Sverker Clan and the founding of Sweden. As a young man raised within a monastery, Arn's worldly innocence does not leave him immune from political intrigue and maneuvering.

In THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM, Jan Guillou incorporates the history of the time with the literary themes of arms, religion and romance so loved by medieval literature enthusiasts. Jan Guillou creates a story that will appeal to both women and men readers through his ability to create characters with intelligence, honor, and noble hearts. Not only is Arn himself such a lovable character but so are those who surround him from his mother to the Cistercian brothers. Scenes showing Arn's close relationship with horses are quite moving to anyone who admires equine beauty. From his youthful innocence, an innocence like that of Percival, Arn sees the world with fresh eyes, eyes that bring a reader into his world and his character. Even his confessions of sin add a sense of honor, nobility and honest innocence to his character. Father Henri's wisdom, compassion and even his sense of humbleness before God's plan make this monk a most benevolent guardian and teacher. Father Henri is a man who has a pureness of faith yet he also understands the complexity of the moral issues before him.

In the first book, Jan Guillou prepares the ground for the next part of the story with an intimate look into Arn Magnusson's youth. Here, a reader discovers the particulars of his divine calling and those character-forming events that will take on heroic proportions in the following book when Arn becomes Templar knight in the Holy Land. Arn's upbringing truly makes him the man he will become.

THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM is a stunning lead-in to a medieval epic trilogy. Jan Guillou weaves together history and fictional imagination seamlessly, taking the reader straight into the heart of medieval Scandanavia. In creating Arn's character, Jan Guillou draws together themes from medieval literature while also giving them the substance and development to appeal to modern readers more familiar with the form of the novel than medieval genres. After many years of reading medieval texts, this reader discovered a very special delight in the author's ability to transport me into the world he creates. I carried this book everywhere, never wanting to put it down but also never wanting it to end either. Even read as a stand alone, THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM is a page turner, although the ending certainly left this reader most anxious to start the second book immediately which I promptly did. The translator has done an excellent job at rendering the Swedish text into English that flows naturally from sentence to sentence, page to page. If you love things medieval, Jan Guillou's novel is not to be missed!

Courtesy of Medieval Book Reviews/Book Illuminations

This is a compelling, engrossing story about three characters: Arn Magnusson - a boy who is placed in a monastery and is trained to become a warrior by a former Templar knight; his love interest, Cecilia Algotsdotter (who is a simple woman and who has a much larger role in the later books) - and above all about the early birth of the Kingdom of Sweden. This book takes place in the 1100's, when Sweden had competing clans and lands. Much of the book is about the Folkung clan, one of whom is Arn, and their relations with the other clans and the Church.

This is not a war-action novel, but the first book of a great epic. This is, in many ways, a prologue to the second book which focuses on Arn's 20 so years in the Holy Land as a knight Templar. This first is interesting and, after the first few chapters, enjoyable, because it is about life in medieval Sweden, and as I previously said the birth of Sweden. I am no expert in Swedish history, but I do know that many of the characters mentioned in the book, as well as the places, did exist. Most medieval era stories about Scandinavia tend to focus on the pagan Vikings - but this book has no real reference to the pagan days, with all of the Scandinavians devout Latin Christians under the influence of the Church (by Latin, I do not mean they speak Latin but in contrast to Orthodox).

The trilogy is a hero's journey. Like many an archetypal hero his journey is indirect, guided by older and wiser men (and women), and reluctant. Arn's only desire is to live a happy life, but repeated personal tragedies as well as Swedish politics send him not to a nice, quiet farm life but, as the title says, on the Path to Jerusalem.

This trilogy were a small phenomenon in Sweden; not only because of the historical and geographical basis, but also because the character building is compelling and, for better or worse, generally detailed and drawn out.

On a final note, the author is a controversial figure, with innumerable extremist views - but none of these are clearly apparent in this book, and while sympathetic to Muslims in later books there is not really an extreme anti-Western slant. At worst he perpetuates the idea that Saladin was honorable, generous, and intelligent - which in fact history seems to substantiate... but all of this is in the second book - the Knight Templar.

A Danish / Norwegian friend recommended this title to me after we had been discussing another medieval history fiction author. I have all of that authors works to date (Jecks; British). I decided to give this (The Road to Jerusalem) a try especially out of courtesy to my friend. I found that the author, Guillou, pays great attention to detail both historical and in the writing of a story within the historical framework. I have seen some reviews that claimed this title to be boring which may be a readers problem rather than a writers problem. If you are detail oriented, I would think that this is a book to try. I read it, taking my time, in a few days. I just finished placing my order for #2 and #3 of the trilogy because of the enjoyable read that #1 proved to be. If you decide to give it a try, I hope you will enjoy the reading as much as I have!

Historical novel: a young boy in 12th-century Sweden grows up in a Cistercian monastery; owing to his natural talent and intelligence, and the Cistercians' wisdom and teaching, he grows up skilled in all sorts of practical crafts and also (thanks to one monk who's an ex-Templar) a master fighter, but completely innocent in the ways of the world. Released from the monastery, he quickly gets swept up in political and romantic hurly-burly and has to learn fast. Which he doesn't do quite fast enough, and at the end of the book he is sent off into penitential exile to become a crusading Templar himself. Which wasn't a terribly rude surprise, as it was clear on the cover that this is just the first book of a trilogy.

The historical content, the research, is excellent as far as I can tell: in-dialogue references to Perceval, while extremely apt, were the only anachronism that leapt out at me. The storyline is fairly straightforward, nothing especially complex or Machiavellian, and the writing style is very clear. The characters and the characterization are well-written and probably the book's best feature, although the protagonist Arn is maybe just a little too good to be true - Guillou is prone to "Mary Sue" characters in some of his other books as well. Steven Murray's translation is faithful and clear; I only noticed one idiom he stumbled badly over (plus the odd way he tried to translate Edessa as Odessa).

This book promises good things for the trilogy as a whole, but by itself it is so incomplete, so obviously just a prologue, that it rates slightly lower as a stand-alone.

In 1150, Sigrid, a woman troubled by her pregnancy, makes a bargain with God. Later when her son Arn Magnusson miraculously recovers from a fall, she has a vision that forever changes the life of her second son, her family's business and even the future of her land, a land that will later become known as Sweden. She sends her son to Varnhem monastery where he will spend his life in the service of God. Cistercian monk Father Henri takes Arn under his wing, teaching him Aristotle while Brother Guilbert, a former Knight's Templar, teaches Arn the art of warfare. Convinced that God has a plan for Arn, the brothers feel their duty is to train him for all possibilities, including a life beyond the monastery's walls. When they send him out into the world, Arn meets and falls in love with Cecilia. The murder of a king embroils the land in intrigue in which lords from the east and west battle one another for power, but perhaps worse than the lords are the women whose secretive battle for power ensnares Arn. A momentary indiscretion will lead to a series of events that lead Arn away from home to battle in the Crusades.

Swedish author Jan Guillou's THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM leads into the Crusades Trilogy with a medieval coming of age story of the main hero, Arn Magnusson. The first book in the series focuses on the development of the main character's spiritual and military growth while his love interest marks his growth from a boy to a man. As part of the western Gotaland Folkung clan, Arn's life is situated within the larger historical context of the story of the Svealand Erik clan and the eastern Gotaland Sverker Clan and the founding of Sweden. As a young man raised within a monastery, Arn's worldly innocence does not leave him immune from political intrigue and maneuvering.

In THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM, Jan Guillou incorporates the history of the time with the literary themes of arms, religion and romance so loved by medieval literature enthusiasts. Jan Guillou creates a story that will appeal to both women and men readers through his ability to create characters with intelligence, honor, and noble hearts. Not only is Arn himself such a lovable character but so are those who surround him from his mother to the Cistercian brothers. Scenes showing Arn's close relationship with horses are quite moving to anyone who admires equine beauty. From his youthful innocence, an innocence like that of Percival, Arn sees the world with fresh eyes, eyes that bring a reader into his world and his character. Even his confessions of sin add a sense of honor, nobility and honest innocence to his character. Father Henri's wisdom, compassion and even his sense of humbleness before God's plan make this monk a most benevolent guardian and teacher. Father Henri is a man who has a pureness of faith yet he also understands the complexity of the moral issues before him.

In the first book, Jan Guillou prepares the ground for the next part of the story with an intimate look into Arn Magnusson's youth. Here, a reader discovers the particulars of his divine calling and those character-forming events that will take on heroic proportions in the following book when Arn becomes Templar knight in the Holy Land. Arn's upbringing truly makes him the man he will become.

THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM is a stunning lead-in to a medieval epic trilogy. Jan Guillou weaves together history and fictional imagination seamlessly, taking the reader straight into the heart of medieval Scandanavia. In creating Arn's character, Jan Guillou draws together themes from medieval literature while also giving them the substance and development to appeal to modern readers more familiar with the form of the novel than medieval genres. After many years of reading medieval texts, this reader discovered a very special delight in the author's ability to transport me into the world he creates. I carried this book everywhere, never wanting to put it down but also never wanting it to end either. Even read as a stand alone, THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM is a page turner, although the ending certainly left this reader most anxious to start the second book immediately which I promptly did. The translator has done an excellent job at rendering the Swedish text into English that flows naturally from sentence to sentence, page to page. If you love things medieval, Jan Guillou's novel is not to be missed!

Courtesy of Medieval Book Reviews/Book Illuminations

I enjoy reading well done historical novels. I was hoping that this novel would follow the lead of Mika Waltari's novels in which history is blended with something actually happening. Not the case with this one. To his credit, and the only reason that I rate this novel two stars instead of one, the author obviously did an enormous amount of research into medieval Swedish and Scandinavian history. And the author didn't waste any of his research. The result is a glacially slow moving story line buried in character and location names along with undefined Swedish words that ended any possibility of me finishing it. To find motivation for completing the book, I jumped ahead several chapters a couple of times and read a few pages. Still not much happening. The main character was walking to Jerusalem and was taking the long route. If someone is interested, really interested, in Swedish history, this novel might be engrossing. I suspect that most readers will find this novel boring. I had high expectations but could not wade through it. Too bad. I was looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

The Road to Jerusalem is an engrossing work of historical fiction by Swedish author Jan Guillou. Set in Sweden in the mid-twelfth century, the story follows Arn Magnusson, the second son of a noble family. After surviving a childhood accident that should have claimed his life, Arn is sent to be raised in a monastery as an act of gratitude for what they believe is God's intervention in saving Arn's life.

In addition to the education he receives in the monastery, Arn is tutored in swordplay and horsemanship by a former Knight Templar. When he finally returns home, Arn is unprepared for the politics and intrigues of the secular world, and must prove himself to his father, his kinsmen, and even to the enemies of his family, while also struggling with his desire to serve and please God. His devotion to his faith is tested many times in a variety of ways, including physical confrontations, his relationship with the beautiful Cecilia, and encounters with her deceitful sister.

Some readers will find the pacing of this novel much too slow. Arn does not truly become the main character until well into the book, as the first one hundred-fifty or so pages are devoted to setting up the story, and action is minimal, with many scenes devoted to theological discussions between Arn and his superiors. At times, it feels as if Guillou is telling the reader what happened, rather than letting the reader experience events through the character, thus subtly distancing the reader on an emotional level.

On the positive side, Guillou masterfully immerses the reader in the historical context. The attention to details both great and small will please fans of historical fiction, and the plots and machinations make for an intriguing tale. If you enjoy a story unreeled at a leisurely pace, I recommend The Road to Jerusalem.

The Crusaders Trilogy by Jan Guillou, which begins with "The Road to Jerusalem" introduces us to twelfth Century Sweden and a cast of engrossing characters. The foundational driver for the story, and although broken into a trilogy, it is one long story with multiple linkages, is the love between Arn Magnusson, son of a local Baron, and Cecilia, a high-born and beautiful girl, whom Arn falls in love with when he hears her singing. The mediaeval world of Sweden in the pre-unification period is brilliantly captured, rife with political intrigues, inter-clan feuds and above all, saturated in the religious dogma that governed all of Europe at the time.
Arn growing up as the second son of minor nobility,has been placed in a local monastery for training and upbringing. Here, although not a training to be a monk, he is taught by the benign Prior, Father henri and acquires the basics of reading and writing as well as learning to speak French, latin and Norse. More importantly he comes under the tutelage of a former Knight Templar who instructs him deeply in the arts of war. Despite his outstanding education, Arn is a callow youth when he meets and falls for the beautiful Cecilia, singing in a church choir.

At the onset of manhood, Arn returns to his family who, expecting a monk, are bemused to discover that he has come back a pious and highly-trained warrior. He is still devoted to Cecilia however and sets out to woo her. The budding relationship between the two lovers aangers Cecilia's jealous sister, Katarina, who seduces him and then "confesses" to the Mother Superior in the convent where she is boarding, when he spurns he for Cecilia, whom, planning to marry, he has impregnated. Arn is accused and convicted on the strength of Katarina's denouncement and the lovers are torn apart - Cecilia is confined to the convent and forced to give up her child and Arn is sent to join the Holy Order of the Templar Knights and to fight in the Holy Land, for "half a lifetime", two decades, as penance for his sin.The story ends with Arn setting out on the long road to Jerusalem.

This is a brilliantly evoked story which has been superbly translated. It imparts a great deal of information in an easily palatable manner and against the backdrop of a strong storyline which makes the reading a pleasure. I couldn't wait to get on to the second and third volumes in the trilogy.

Jan Guillou writes an great story with Arn. It rivals that of those written by Robyn Young or Jack Whyte (sp?)

My only issue is Arn seems to be able to do no wrong, his foriegn trips have made him a jack of all knowledge.

Still it helped explain some things I didn't understand in the Swedish movies.

In 1150 Sweden Arn Magnusson is born; the second son of an aristocratic Swedish family. While still a child, he is air lifted by a rock, which when he lands below the castle should have killed him. Instead he returns from the dead leading his parents to believe he is special especially with the hair covering his forehead from the day he was born. His parents send Arn to a monastery where the monks teach him to read and write. However former knight, Brother Guilbert becomes his mentor teaching him archery and swordplay as well as guiding him into understanding the metaphysical spiritual realm.

Arn is attracted Cecilia; especially loving her voice when she sings. However Cecilia's jealous sister Katarina seduces Arn and subsequently confesses her sin. Excommunicated for his transgressions Arn is sentenced to serve his penitence as a Knight Templar for two decades in the Holy Land.

The aptly named THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM (Arn is still in Europe by book's end) is a fabulous historical thriller that provides a refreshing perspective on twelfth century religion and society in Sweden. Arn is a terrific lead character who holds the vivid story line together; the support cast enhances the deep look into Swedish medieval society while also propelling the plot forward. Crusades historical readers will appreciate this opening gamut and anxiously await the hero's return hopefully in Jerusalem.

Harriet Klausner

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.

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