The Crusades Trilogy Series by Jan Guillou

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... moreFor 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. less

A knight in the Holy Land. A woman in the frozen north. A war that kept them apart . . .The second volume in the internationally bestselling trilogy begun with The Road to Jerusalem—the critically acclaimed epic "destined to become a classic" (Sharon Kay Penman)Exiled to the Holy Land for two decades, Arn Magnusson has risen in the ranks of the Knights Templar, serving as master of the order's Gaza fortress... moreA knight in the Holy Land. A woman in the frozen north. A war that kept them apart . . .The second volume in the internationally bestselling trilogy begun with The Road to Jerusalem—the critically acclaimed epic "destined to become a classic" (Sharon Kay Penman)Exiled to the Holy Land for two decades, Arn Magnusson has risen in the ranks of the Knights Templar, serving as master of the order's Gaza fortress. Among the last bastion of God's holy warriors determined to save Jerusalem from the Muslims, Arn has cultivated a shrewd understanding of his enemy. Known as Al-Ghouti among the Saracens—Saladin and his Muslim followers—he is renowned as a man of compassion, strength, and faith.Yet neither time nor distance can lessen the pain of separation from his beloved Cecilia. Confined to a cloister back home in western Götaland, Arn's betrothed is a pawn in a war between clans vying for control of the crown. Yearning for him and their newborn son, who is being raised by relatives, Cecilia must also endure the cruelties of a vindictive abbess from a rival clan.When an accident of fate brings together Arn and Saladin, a friendship is forged that will alter the course of the Templar knight's life, and the history of Jerusalem itself. After the bloody Battle of Hattin, Arn finally becomes a free man. But the road home is long and treacherous, and he is uneasy about the fate that awaits him and uncertain whether his betrothed still lives.Broadening the scope of Arn's epic path to redemption, The Templar Knight continues the story of the founding of a nation—and of the warrior and the love that made it possible. less

An exiled warrior determined to unite his homeland returns to face his greatest battle yet in this stirring final volume in the trilogy that began with The Road to Jerusalem—a critically acclaimed epic "destined to become a classic" (Sharon Kay Penman).Exiled from his home and the woman he loves, Arn de Gotha became one of the fiercest and most feared warriors of the Knights Templar... moreAn exiled warrior determined to unite his homeland returns to face his greatest battle yet in this stirring final volume in the trilogy that began with The Road to Jerusalem—a critically acclaimed epic "destined to become a classic" (Sharon Kay Penman).Exiled from his home and the woman he loves, Arn de Gotha became one of the fiercest and most feared warriors of the Knights Templar. But now that Jerusalem has been lost to the man who saved him—his longtime enemy and trusted friend Saladin—the weary nobleman, ravaged by wounds and illness, can finally return to his beloved Sweden.During his twenty years of exile, warring clans have torn Arn's homeland apart. Determined to reunite it under the Folkung lineage and establish lasting peace, he sets off with a band of skilled craftsmen and doctors from the Holy Land whose talents and knowledge are unknown to the northern world. With the superior skills of the foreign men, Arn sets about building an estate to rival those of the most powerful in the region.And waiting for him is his beloved Cecilia. Emerging from a convent after their unfathomably long separation, Cecilia is beset by the clan's demands that she return to monastic life, while Arn is urged to marry into a competing family, for the sake of avoiding war. Arn and Cecilia are reunited, but new obstacles have been set in their path. They can only hope to convince their clan that love ranks higher than politics, and that it can sustain a new quest: to create a new people, a new society—both Christian and Muslim, craftsmen and warriors—with Arn at its helm.A rousing, satisfying conclusion to an unforgettable and original epic, Birth of the Kingdom tells the story of a warrior's transformative journey, and of the love that founded a nation. less

Ingrid Ylva blev en legend redan i sin livstid vid mitten av 1200-talet. Hon var en av flera starka änkor som styrde riket efter de blodiga segrarna mot Danmark. Om henne sades att hon var trollkunnig och att så länge hon höll sitt huvud högt skulle intet ont drabba folkungaätten.Med järnvilja fostrade hon sina söner i en skoningslös tid där den starkares rätt var den enda lag som gällde. Att just en av hennes söner till slut skulle segra i maktkampen kunde inte ha förvånat någon... moreIngrid Ylva blev en legend redan i sin livstid vid mitten av 1200-talet. Hon var en av flera starka änkor som styrde riket efter de blodiga segrarna mot Danmark. Om henne sades att hon var trollkunnig och att så länge hon höll sitt huvud högt skulle intet ont drabba folkungaätten.Med järnvilja fostrade hon sina söner i en skoningslös tid där den starkares rätt var den enda lag som gällde. Att just en av hennes söner till slut skulle segra i maktkampen kunde inte ha förvånat någon. Men med en hänsynslöshet som till och med skrämde hans samtid krossade Birger Magnusson maffiaväldet för all framtid. Och de lagar han stiftade om hemfrid, kyrkofrid och kvinnofrid blev rikets norm för 600 år framåt.Historien känner honom som Birger Jarl, Stockholms grundare och Sveriges skapare. Men sagan om Birger är mycket större än så.Arn Magnusson må ha varit ett helgon. Det var sannerligen inte Birger. Men han var en segrare som inte vek undan för moraliska eller praktiska hinder på sin väg från yngling i Västra Götaland till riksbyggare.Arvet efter Arn är en vacker och blodig riddarsaga där marken skälver under dundrande hästhovar och skummet yr om korsfararnas fartygsbogar på väg österut. Det är också berättelsen om förlorad kärlek som en del av maktens höga pris.Detta är en fristående fortsättning på Jan Guillous trilogi om riddare Arn Magnusson. Trilogin har på bara några år sålt i över 1 miljon exemplar i Sverige. Böckerna är under utgivning i de nordiska länderna samt i Holland, Tyskland, Italien, Frankrike, Spanien och England. less