The Lion Of Cairo [Hardcover]

'The mark of exceptional historical fiction is its creation of an alien world so convincing (and peopled by such fascinating characters) that the reader never wants to go back to the real one. Scott Oden delivers exactly that in The Lion of Cairo, a tale of Assad the assassin that reads like a cross between the Arabian Nights and a Hollywood blockbuster. Men of Bronze and Memnon put Mr Oden squarely on the historical fiction map. The Lion of Cairo assures his place in the very front rank.' -- Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire

Thrilling, action-packed historical novel set in Egypt during the time of the Crusades...

Cairo, 1167 AD.

On the banks of the river Nile, from a palace of gold and lapis lazuli, the Fatimid Caliph al Hadid rules over a crumbling empire. His city is awash with intrigues and in the shadow of the Grey Mosque, generals and emirs jockey for position under the scheming eyes of the powerful grand vizier, Jalal. In the crowded Souk, these factions use murder and terror to silence their opposition... Egypt is bleeding and the scent draws her enemies in like sharks: the Sultan of Damascus, the pious Nur al-Din, whose master is the rival Caliph of Baghdad; Shirkuh, the swaggering Kurd who would lead the armies of Damascus to victory and then, of course, Amalric, Christian king of Jerusalem whose insatiable greed knows no bounds.

Yet the Caliph of Cairo has an unexpected ally: an old man who lives in a place that even eagles fear. He is Shaykh al-Jabal, called the Old Man of the Mountain, and it is he who holds the ultimate power of life and death over the warring factions of the Moslem world, and it is he who sends his greatest weapon into Egypt, to serve the Caliph. He is but a single man but he is an Assassin: the one they call the Emir of the Knife . . .

It is the middle of the twelfth century . . .

On the banks of the Nile, from a palace of gold and lapis lazuli, the young Caliph Rashid al-Hasan rules as a figurehead over a crumbling empire. Cairo is alive with intrigue. In the shadow of the Grey Mosque, generals and emirs jockey for position under the scheming eyes of a venal grand vizier. In the crowded souks and narrow alleys, warring factions employ murder and terror to silence their opponents. Egypt bleeds. And the scent draws her enemies in like sharks: the swaggering Kurd, Shirkuh, who serves the pious Sultan of Damascus, and Amalric, the Christian king of Jerusalem, whose greed is insatiable and whose knights of the Temple are hungry for a fight.

And yet all is not lost. There is an old man who lives on a remote mountainside in a distant land. He holds the ultimate power of life and death over the warring factions of the Muslim world - and decides to come to the Caliph's aid. He sends his greatest weapon into Egypt. He sends a single man. An Assassin. The one they call the Emir of the Knife . . .

Masterfully blending history and adventure, the bestselling author of Men of Bronze brings the past to exhilarating life in a rich, exciting novel full of intrigue and thunderous battle set against the true jewel of the Arabian Nights, medieval Cairo during the time of the Crusades.

It is the middle of the 12th century . . .

On the banks of the Nile, in a city alive with intrigue, Caliph Rashid al-Hasan rules as a figurehead over a crumbling empire. In the shadow of the Grey Mosque, generals vie for power and influence under the scheming eyes of a venal grand vizier. Warring factions use murder and terror to silence their opponents. Egypt bleeds - and the scent draws her enemies in: the swaggering Shirkuh, who serves the Sultan of Damascus, and Amalric, king of Jerusalem, whose greed is insatiable and whose Crusader knights are hungry for a fight.

Yet all is not lost. In a distant land, there lives an old man who holds the power of life and death over the Moslem world. He has decided to help the Caliph and sends his greatest

weapon. A single man. An Assassin. The one they call the Emir of the Knife...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Scott Oden was born in 1967 in Indiana, and raised in rural North Alabama where he still lives. His fascination with Egypt and the ancient world began at school when a teacher showed his class slides from the Tutankhamun Exhibition. He studied history and English at the University of Alabama before pursuing the usual variety of odd jobs - from delivering pizza to clerking at a video store. His previous novels were the acclaimed Men of Bronze and Memnon.