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Critics' Opinion:
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First Published:
Sep 2002, 500 pages
Paperback:
Oct 2003, 464 pages
An epic of bravery and courage, based on the true story of the 16th century siege of Rhodes. The author weaves a tapestry of terror and triumph set in a forgotten time of brutality, loyalty and honor. Read an exclusive excerpt at BookBrowse today.
In the year 1522 A.D., twenty-five-year-old Suleiman the Magnificent ruled the mighty Ottoman Empire, the largest military force in the world. Bent on annihilation, his army of more than 100,000 men set ashore on the tiny Greek island of Rhodes.
Inside the fortressed city, Philippe de L’Isle Adam, the battle-hardened Grand Master of the Knights of St. John and his small band of five hundred European knights prepared to defend their home against the massive attack. Both men, leaders of their people and defenders of their faiths, prepared for battle, each aware that victory would require great sacrifice…but unaware of just how great that sacrifice would be.
The Shadow of God is the true story of the clash between the West’s greatest cultures and religions on a battlefield that would test their courage and resolve. Anthony A. Goodman’s masterful storytelling brings you into the center of the action as Suleiman’s Muslim army tries to force its way over, through and under the walls of Rhodes. Scimitars clash against broadswords and burning oil cascades down on advancing troops while days turn into weeks and months of fear, death and unshakeable faith.
This gripping saga comes to life through an unforgettable cast of historical characters, including Jean and Melina, forbidden lovers trying to protect their new family in the wake of the attack; Gabriele Tadini, the wily mercenary whose clever ploys hold off the invading army against all odds; two Jewish doctors caught on different sides of the fight; a furtive spy behind the knights’ walls; Philippe, the wise and determined leader of the Knights of St. John; and the great Sultan Suleiman, a young man struggling to live up to his title as the Shadow of God on Earth. An epic of bravery and courage, The Shadow of God weaves a tapestry of terror and triumph set in a forgotten time of brutality, loyalty and honor.
Chapter 1
The Son of Selim
Edirne, northern Turkey, near the Greek border
September 21, 1520
Selim, Yavuz. Selim, the Grim.
Selim, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, slept fitfully in his tent. He lay under a pile of silk brocade coverlets. As he rolled onto his side, a piece of parchment fell to the carpeted floor. Piri Pasha, his Grand Vizier, knelt to tuck in the sides of his master’s covers. He reached down and picked up the parchment. Leaning nearer the light of the brazier, he unrolled the document. He immediately recognized the distinctive calligraphy of his master. He smiled as he realized that even in what could certainly be the last hours of the Sultan Selim’s life, there had been time for yet one more poem. Piri had made sure to leave the gilded box of writing materials always close to Selim’s bedside, for the master liked to write late into the night when the pain woke him.
Piri unrolled the parchment. The words were written in Persian, the ...
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