The Shadow of God: A Novel of War and Faith

by Anthony Goodman

Overview

A tremendously vivid historical encounter becomes a larger-than-life canvas for this brilliant saga. The year is 1522. Two great leaders, twenty-five-year-old Suleiman the Magnificent, the absolute ruler of the mighty Ottoman Empire, and Philippe de L'Isle Adam, the grisly, fifty-eight-year-old Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, come to war on the Greek island of Rhodes. For 145 days, Philippe and 500 European Knights fight to protect their fortressed city and withstand an assault of nearly 200,000 men from Suleiman's army, in a battle that becomes the historic hallmark for siege warfare.

Authentic in all its historical detail, The Shadow of God evokes a seismic clash of cultures: Muslim versus Christian, the Ottoman Empire versus the last remaining Knights of the Crusades and, most important, two of the most powerful men of their time. Embedded in this fictional account is the secret marriage of a lovely Jewish nurse to her Christian French Knight, as well as the forbidden love of the Grand Master for the beautiful Helene. An epic of bravery and courage, The Shadow of God weaves a tapestry of beauty, terror and triumph set in a forgotten time of brutality and courage, loyalty and honor.

"So vividly rendered that historical fiction fans and medieval history enthusiasts will be crossing their fingers for a follow-up."—Publishers Weekly

"An engaging and well-written fictional account of the Ottoman Turks' 145-day siege of the Greek island of Rhodes."—Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402252181
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	10/01/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Anthony A. Goodman is an adjunct Professor of Medicine at Montana State University. The Shadow of God, his first novel, was inspired by a visit to Rhodes, where he became fascinated by the conflict that engulfed the three great monotheisms of the era. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.

Anthony A. Goodman is an adjunct Professor of Medicine at Montana State University. The Shadow of God, his first novel, was inspired by a visit to Rhodes, where he became fascinated by the conflict that engulfed the three great monotheisms of the era. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.

Table of Contents

?Foreword -ix
Cast of Characters -xi

Prologue: The Traitor -1

Book One: Never the Twain Shall Meet -7
 1. The Son of Selim -9
 2. The Shadow of God -42
 3. The Grand Master -62
 4. The Palace of the Cannon Gate -74
 5. The Stronghold -125
 6. The War Camp -155
 7. The Gathering Storm -169

Book Two: Two Strong Men -187
 8. The Sultan's Army -189
 9. First Blood -202
10. The End of the Beginning -231
11. The Carnage -249
12. The Enemy Below -282
13. Into the Breach -297
14. Councils of War -314
15. The Sword of Islam -338
16. The Breath of Kings -356
17. The Last Traitor -365
18. Shoulder to Shoulder -380
19. The Beginning of the End -388
20. The Envoys -408
21. Face to Face -418
22. From the Ends of the Earth -427

Epilogue: "Nothing So Well Lost." -433

Story and History -437
Glossary -439
Bibliography -443
Maps -445
Acknowledgments -447
About the Author -448