THE RIDDLE AND THE KNIGHT.

THE RIDDLE AND THE KNIGHT by GILES MILTON.

SOURCE: A birthday present.

BACK COVER BLURB: In 1322, Sir John Mandeville left England on a thirty-four year pilgrimage. He returned and wrote a book claiming it was possible to circumnavigate the globe.

For centuries none doubted Sir John, many regarding him, not Chaucer, as the father of English literature. In the nineteenth century, sceptics questioned his voyage, and suspected that he never left England at all, and that The Travels was a work of imaginative fiction.

In The Riddle and the Knight, best selling historian Giles Milton unearths clues about Mandeville's journey and reveals that The Travels is built upon a series of riddles which have, until now, remained unsolved.

FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter One: The Inscription}: In the days when gods dwelt in temples, a soldier named Alban was converted to Christianity.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 87}: It looks as if a giant hand has given the church's innards a sudden twist whilst leaving the outside walls in the same position.

MY THOUGHTS: I have a bit of a like/dislike thing for this author in that some of his works I've really enjoyed (Samurai William), others (White Gold, Nathaniel's Nutmeg) not.

Falling into the latter category, for me the main problem with this book is it concentrates less on Sir Mandeville and more on Giles Milton as he follows in Mandeville's footsteps though stopping short of China and Indonesia. Then there is the matter of is it a travelogue OR is it a history book? A combination that can (and does) of course work well, just not in this instance. 

Whilst the author's enthusiasm for his subject shines through I'm afraid in many ways I felt The Riddle And The Knight took a superficial glimpse into the life and travels of Mandeville, his seemingly finding a British monk to talk with on the matter wherever he found himself somewhat dubious. Still, on a positive note it did whet my appetite, leaving me wanting to find out more about the intrepid knight who may or may not have circumnavigated the globe.