Leo the African was a real person, a traveling merchant who had fled the Spanish Inquisition as a refugee child, and yet ended his days in Italy. This character speaks through the whole tale. ... Read More
I found this book to be a very good source
for what it was like under the dreadful
ottoman empire, the author did not think it
so dreadful, but coming from the same
cultural background as the ... Read More
The crusades have long been taught as a European centered subject. Maalouf's discussion of the impact and the opinion of the locals shows a nice alternative. It's almost written like a novel rather ... Read More