Overview

Filled with drama and battle, tragedy and romance, Sharon Penman's The Land Beyond the Sea tells the epic tale of a clash of cultures that will resonate with readers today. 1172. The Kingdom of Jerusalem, also known as Outremer - the land beyond the sea. A young realm, Outremer was baptized in blood when the men of the First Crusade captured Jerusalem from the Saracens in 1099. The crusaders who stayed have adapted to an utterly new world: a landscape of blazing heat, exotic customs and enemies who are also neighbours. Seeking retribution for the massacre in 1099, Saladin, leader of the vast Saracen army, launches a campaign to reclaim the sacred land from its current ruler, Baldwin IV. But while the young king proves to be intelligent, courageous and dedicated to the welfare and protection of his people, he lives his life under the terrible affliction of leprosy which has plagued him from an early age. While the scheming of rival factions and fierce political deception plague the halls of the royal court, the ever-present threat from Saladin weighs heavily on the young king's shoulders. Furthermore, there are few that Baldwin can trust, including the archbishop William of Tyre and Lord Balian d'Ibelin, a charismatic leader who has been one of the few to maintain the peace. But war is coming . . .

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9781447287551

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Penman brings the teeming-and scheming-world of the brief, blazing Crusader kingdom to vibrant life, with a cast of characters that includes the royal houses of Europe, the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, the lords of the Church, Crusader nobility, and the surrounding Saracens. With her shining gift of storytelling, she makes this tapestry a colorful one, one that weaves all the richness of its setting and striving personalities into a stunning and meaningful whole. Elegant, detailed, and panoramic-like the world it describes -- Margaret George Penman has created a saga of epic proportions. She has given us insight into the inner workings of the minds of the great men and women of the time. There is a lot here to savor * Historical Novel Society * From fierce battle maneuvers to the emotional corridors of an unexpected love story, readers will feel intimately drawn into the characters' dramatic lives in Penman's splendid historical novel * Booklist * A riveting page-turner, and Penman's well-honed skill for weaving deeply researched details into epic tales is on full display. Fans of medieval historical fiction won't want to miss this * Publishers Weekly * Penman excels at depicting medieval warfare and the unintended, often disastrous consequences of the best-laid strategies. She is equally adept at depicting the rivalries and internecine strife that roil Baldwin's court-peopled by characters who are mostly related to each other by some degree of kinship-finding credible motives for everyone's grudges * Kirkus * Praise for Time and Chance: Sharon Kay Penman is the strongest historical novelist working the medieval period at present -- George R. R. Martin She manages to illuminate the alien shadowland of the Middle Ages and populate it with vital characters whose politics and passions are as vivid as our own * San Francisco Chronicle * As one of Ms. Penman's oldest and most ardent fans, I believe The Land Beyond the Sea ranks as one of her three most accomplished and compelling books. Her books should never be gulped, only savored, and readers will be thrilled to both read and reread her latest -- Priscilla Royal

She manages to illuminate the alien shadowland of the Middle Ages and populate it with vital characters whose politics and passions are as vivid as our own * San Francisco Chronicle * Penman excels at depicting medieval warfare and the unintended, often disastrous consequences of the best-laid strategies. She is equally adept at depicting the rivalries and internecine strife that roil Baldwin's court-peopled by characters who are mostly related to each other by some degree of kinship-finding credible motives for everyone's grudges * Kirkus * Praise for Time and Chance: Sharon Kay Penman is the strongest historical novelist working the medieval period at present -- George R. R. Martin A riveting page-turner, and Penman's well-honed skill for weaving deeply researched details into epic tales is on full display. Fans of medieval historical fiction won't want to miss this * Publishers Weekly * From fierce battle maneuvers to the emotional corridors of an unexpected love story, readers will feel intimately drawn into the characters' dramatic lives in Penman's splendid historical novel * Booklist * Penman has created a saga of epic proportions. She has given us insight into the inner workings of the minds of the great men and women of the time. There is a lot here to savor * Historical Novel Society *

As one of Ms. Penman's oldest and most ardent fans, I believe The Land Beyond the Sea ranks as one of her three most accomplished and compelling books. Her books should never be gulped, only savored, and readers will be thrilled to both read and reread her latest -- Priscilla Royal She manages to illuminate the alien shadowland of the Middle Ages and populate it with vital characters whose politics and passions are as vivid as our own * San Francisco Chronicle * Praise for Time and Chance: Sharon Kay Penman is the strongest historical novelist working the medieval period at present -- George R. R. Martin Penman excels at depicting medieval warfare and the unintended, often disastrous consequences of the best-laid strategies. She is equally adept at depicting the rivalries and internecine strife that roil Baldwin's court-peopled by characters who are mostly related to each other by some degree of kinship-finding credible motives for everyone's grudges * Kirkus * A riveting page-turner, and Penman's well-honed skill for weaving deeply researched details into epic tales is on full display. Fans of medieval historical fiction won't want to miss this * Publishers Weekly * From fierce battle maneuvers to the emotional corridors of an unexpected love story, readers will feel intimately drawn into the characters' dramatic lives in Penman's splendid historical novel * Booklist * Penman has created a saga of epic proportions. She has given us insight into the inner workings of the minds of the great men and women of the time. There is a lot here to savor * Historical Novel Society * Penman brings the teeming-and scheming-world of the brief, blazing Crusader kingdom to vibrant life, with a cast of characters that includes the royal houses of Europe, the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, the lords of the Church, Crusader nobility, and the surrounding Saracens. With her shining gift of storytelling, she makes this tapestry a colorful one, one that weaves all the richness of its setting and striving personalities into a stunning and meaningful whole. Elegant, detailed, and panoramic-like the world it describes -- Margaret George

Author Information

Sharon Kay Penman is the author of seven previous historical novels and four medieval mysteries set during the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She lives in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Her most recent novels are Lionheart and A King's Ransom, telling the story of Richard I.

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