Birth of the Kingdom

The Crusades Trilogy #3

by Jan Guillou

An exiled warrior determined to unite his homeland returns to face his greatest battle yet in this stirring final volume in the trilogy that began with The Road to Jerusalem—a critically acclaimed epic "destined to become a classic" (Sharon Kay Penman).

Exiled from his home and the woman he loves, Arn de Gotha became one of the fiercest and most feared warriors of the Knights Templar. But now that Jerusalem has been lost to the man who saved him—his longtime enemy and trusted friend Saladin—the weary nobleman, ravaged by wounds and illness, can finally return to his beloved Sweden.

During his twenty years of exile, warring clans have torn Arn's homeland apart. Determined to reunite it under the Folkung lineage and establish lasting peace, he sets off with a band of skilled craftsmen and doctors from the Holy Land whose talents and knowledge are unknown to the northern world. With the superior skills of the foreign men, Arn sets about building an estate to rival those of the most powerful in the region.

And waiting for him is his beloved Cecilia. Emerging from a convent after their unfathomably long separation, Cecilia is beset by the clan's demands that she return to monastic life, while Arn is urged to marry into a competing family, for the sake of avoiding war. Arn and Cecilia are reunited, but new obstacles have been set in their path. They can only hope to convince their clan that love ranks higher than politics, and that it can sustain a new quest: to create a new people, a new society—both Christian and Muslim, craftsmen and warriors—with Arn at its helm.

A rousing, satisfying conclusion to an unforgettable and original epic, Birth of the Kingdom tells the story of a warrior's transformative journey, and of the love that founded a nation.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Swedish Literature, Fantasy, Sweden, Novels

480 pages, Hardcover

Published June 28, 2011

About the author

Jan Oscar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou (born 17 January 1944) is a Swedish author and journalist. Among his books are a series of spy fiction novels about a spy named Carl Hamilton, and a trilogy of historical fiction novels about a Knight Templar, Arn Magnusson. He is the owner of one of the largest publishing companies in Sweden, Piratförlaget, together with Liza Marklund and his common-law wife, publisher Ann-Marie Skarp.

Guillou's fame in Sweden was established during his time as an investigative journalist. In 1973, he and co-reporter Peter Bratt exposed a secret intelligence organization in Sweden, Informationsbyrån (IB). He is still active within journalism as a column writer for the Swedish evening tabloid Aftonbladet.

In October 2009, it was revealed that Guillou had been recruited by the KGB in 1967. The exposure of his activities came after the tabloid Expressen requested the release of documents from the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) and published information from the Säpo files along with information gained through interviews with former KGB Colonel Oleg Gordievsky about Guillou's case. The records showed that Guillou's involvement with the KGB continued for five years, until 1972.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥EPIC

When you have read some 1500 pages over three volumes the characters become daily companions for several weeks or longer. If you like the story you do not want it to end because then you will no longer walk with your companions in the same way and you do not want it to end because some of them may die. There are those genres that guarantee HEA but historical fiction and literary fiction do not and, truthfully, cannot. So, let me weep a little.

The most important part of this trilogy was its inclusionary nature - all religions, all beliefs, were treated with respect. Those who think well, it’s the story of a Templar knight, it’s going to be pro-Crusades, couldn’t be more wrong. Saladin is the hero of the second book, and Swedish lovers Arn and Cecilia the hero and heroine of the other two volumes (who are keen on inclusivity), with strong supporting protagonists throughout the three books of many faiths and nationalities. The harmony is refreshing for the human heart. But the warfare excruciating.

A magnificent tale. Exciting, romantic, inspiring, enthralling and challenging to your beliefs all at the same time.

A work of art 🖼️ ❤️ ⚔️ 🏰

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Book 3 of 3: the crusades trilogy.
Arn de Gothia has served his 20 year penance as a knight templar in the Holy Land. But it is a further 4 years before he is back home with his clan.
Now Arn finally gets to wed his love Claudia (who has served her 20 years penance in a convent). They work together to create a peaceful kingdom.
But Arn knows war is coming. He gathers and trains his knights. But also strengthens his clans most important areas.
The prose was so clear: i saw and felt every action. It was especially interesting to learn about battle strategy.
Unputdownable

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short review

Meh....!

Long review

Its not that it's bad, far from it, jus needed a bit more Bosh & (some) blood..... cant recollect a book from the age of Feudalism where so many got to 3 score & ten & popped off peacefully in their sleep leaving Valhalla (& more importantly me) rightly pissed off!

Definitely one of those candidates where the filim is better than the books.

[Ante Pelivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are spoiler in this one. So if you plan on reading this book, don't read any more. Or do, because, you're about to step in a trap.

--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---

If your read the first two, don't bother reading this one. It's a real shame this saga ended with such under-whelming novel.

The whole plot could be summarized as follows: Everything went according to plan. Everything.

Arn is doing great.
Cecilia is doing great.
Their marriage is going great.
Their daughter is doing great.
Their son, the cause of this whole suffering, is doing great.
Arn's brother Eskil is doing great.
His trading business is going great.
Oh, and Arn's steam punk industrial hub called Forsvik is going great. Above all expectations. Or, as a malevolent observer would say: according to plan.
The Folkungs are doing great.
Waging war against the Danes is going great.
Arn's Saracen and Christian followers from Holy Land are doing great.
Everything. I mean everything is going great.

There is almost no tension in this book. There is virtually no chance that something might go wrong. A hiccup. A bump on the road. Little misfortune. None what so ever. Arn is his own deus ex machina.

On top of it all, you get a feeling that Jan is not really trying. No character building, some big events are just passed over like an afterthought, dialogues are terrible if there are any.

Just don't read this book. You'll thank me later. There are many more other history novels worth your time. The only thing that kept me going is sunk cost effect, I just could believe it would end like this, with such a anticlimactic ending

[Darko Šunjić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treći nastavak stoji rame uz rame ostalim dijelovima s i dalje odličnom pričom, odličnim likovima i zanimljivom radnjom.
Očekivao sam ovakav kraj iako sam se potajno nadao da neće tako završiti.
Ovu trilogiju ću zapamtiti i u budućnosti često spomenuti a Jan Guillou je dobio novog obožavatelja.

[Sergio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ancora più appassionante dei precedenti due capitoli della saga, questo romanzo tocca vertici di qualità narrativa che sa fondere avventura, amore e politica in modo mirabile

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alot was Said an done Arn fought a good fight. He changed how to live an fight to do what's right for all. He lived his family either by blood or friendship. He live his life for God an in the end the Lord called him home. Not a bad series. Alot of history goes with the reading.

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite less interesting is the ending of this trilogy. The author completed his dealing with the events of the crusades in the previous book, leaving only a great epilogue for the end. There are, of course, more events as our author describes the political conflicts in medieval Sweden that somehow shaped it and the inevitable armed conflict that ultimately ended the issue of succession, but it does so in a rather quick way, giving it a secondary role in the book. It is characteristic that the description of the whole armed conflict is so small that it fits into one chapter. I can't say that the rest are uninteresting and the author certainly has the ability to transfer us in this era in a very nice way and he does so in this book as well, conveying us the customs of the time and the social situation in it the transitional period. But above all, this epilogue is satisfying as it brings to an end this moving story of the two lovers who have faced so many problems. So even though the book is not as good as the previous two and the writer could have done better in this finale by offering us more, it certainly has an interest.

Αρκετά λιγότερο ενδιαφέρον το φινάλε αυτής της τριλογίας. Ο συγγραφέας ολοκλήρωσε την ενασχόληση του με τα γεγονότα των σταυροφοριών στο προηγούμενο βιβλίο με αποτέλεσμα να μένει μόνο ένας μεγάλος επίλογος για το τέλος. Βέβαια υπάρχουν και περισσότερα γεγονότα καθώς ο συγγραφέας μας περιγράφει τις πολιτικές διαμάχες στην μεσαιωνική Σουηδία που σε κάποιο βαθμό την διαμόρφωσαν και την αναπόφευκτη ένοπλη σύγκρουση που τελικά έβαλε τέλος στο ζήτημα της διαδοχής αλλά αυτό το κάνει με έναν μάλλον γρήγορο τρόπο, δίνοντάς του ένα δευτερεύοντα ρόλο στο βιβλίο. Χαρακτηριστικό είναι ότι η περιγραφή ολόκληρης της ένοπλης σύγκρουσης είναι τόσο μικρή που χωράει σε ένα κεφάλαιο. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι τα υπόλοιπα δεν τα έχουν ενδιαφέρον και ο συγγραφέας σίγουρα έχει την ικανότητα να μας βάζει σε αυτή την εποχή με έναν πολύ ωραίο τρόπο και αυτό κάνει και σε αυτό το βιβλίο μεταφέροντας μας τα έθιμα της εποχής και την κοινωνική κατάσταση σε αυτή τη μεταβατική περίοδο. Πάνω από όλα, όμως, αυτός ο επίλογος είναι ικανοποιητικός καθώς φέρνει στο τέλος αυτήν την συγκινητική ιστορία των δύο εραστών που αντιμετώπισαν τόσα προβλήματα. Οπότε αν και το βιβλίο δεν είναι τόσο καλό όσο τα δύο προηγούμενα και ο συγγραφέας θα μπορούσε σε αυτό το φινάλε να τα καταφέρει καλύτερα προσφέροντάς μας περισσότερα πράγματα, σίγουρα έχει και αυτό το ενδιαφέρον του.

[El Bibliófilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comentarios en video: https://youtu.be/xrIrOsC6la0
En la tercera parte se cierra el ciclo. Un Arn envejecido y derrotado, pero más sabio y con valiosos conocimientos vuelve a su tierra con dinero y acompañado por judíos, cristianos de oriente y musulmanes de los cuales valora sus oficios. Allí es importante el ambiente de tolerancia que presenta el autor, y que resalta el valor de los conocimientos y el trabajo. Allí con paciencia aplica los conocimientos, crea muros, fortifica ciudades, construye oficios y adiestra caballeros. Debe resaltarse allí la meta: La construcción de la paz y las condiciones.


Finalmente se cierra el ciclo, se reencuentra con su amada, y finalmente a fuerza de espadas y estrategias militares logra consolidar el poder del nuevo reino de Suecia, porque en su lecho de muerte da instrucciones para que su nieto continúe con su legado, construya la ciudad de Estocolmo y consolide el reino Sverige… Esta es la precuela de la historia de Suecia.
Encontré la película y la comparto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5--E...

[Mar LP · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

The last book of a thrilling saga! I must admit that it was a bit slow paced, especially compared to the first two. It’s still an excellent book and an interesting ending to a marvelous series. This might well be my favorite series of all time!

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and final book in the trilogy would,in short,justify the term: information is a half success of achieving the victory.The rest is preparation for an inevitable outcome. What we are witnessing here,as readers,as well as spectators,is a change that could shape the future of everyone's life and the land and it's denizens.Who will be the victor?What price will be paid to achieve victory?Can it be prevailed or postponed?All the answers lie in this book and if you we're paying attention and were interested in the previous novels,I assure you,this one will not disappoint you.Of course,what would the war be,if there isn't a moment of peace,where we have the opportunity to see how the people spend their time,by doing their usual work jobs,learning new fighting skills and drills,hunting,building and developing new technologies,celebrating and dealing with the politics,diplomacy and trade.The reason I'm talking about is because it serves as a build up for what it is to come.I mentioned in my earlier review (The Road to Jerusalem) that it would be useful if you have a notebook and a pen,because of the number of clans and it's members.This is where it gets tricky,because,as the time passes,so the characters grow old,while the new generations step up,to try to fill the shoes of their parents and even grandparents.We're introduced to new characters,with a reason that will come as a surprise in the end.The Kingdom at the End of the Road is not just the end for this trilogy,but for an era and one generation,also.However,this isn't the end of it's story,as there is still one more work that needs to be reviewed.The old life ends,so the new one can begin

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arn and Cecilia are finally reunited, and Arn begins plans to ensure peace in his homeland for years to come. Not everyone necessarily agrees with his plans, however, and obstacles threaten to reignite war in the North.

This was a great conclusion to the story of Arn, and a great introduction to the birth of Sweden. Some of the highlights: the reunion of Arn and Cecilia is just as awkward as it should be. He was a Templar for 20 years, she spent those same 20 years in a convent. Of course that reunion should be awkward. I also loved the descriptions of how the armies traveled and the tactics that were used in the battles. I was actually interested in how a fortress was designed.

There are some things that were mentioned that kind of got glossed over, and I'm dropping a star for that. I'm still not sure if they should have been mentioned at the end, of if they shouldn't have been started in the first place. For example, we had a point-of-view from the Frankish brothers when they first come north, but that gets dropped pretty quickly. They're a lot of concerns with making sure that the Saracens that Arn brought with him are integrated into the community, but there's not a lot of follow-up at the end to let us know how that turns out.

[Michael Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt a bit lazy compared to the first two. The thoughtful and often profound dialogue that made the first two interesting is almost completely gone. We're left with basically one big long info dump.

Most of the historical material is pretty dry stuff as well. I wonder why he chose to rush through the third crusade to talk about a big church and fortress being built and a bit of political strife. Our lovers are reunited, but that felt lackluster too.

I found myself skimming large sections of this book and feeling relieved when I was finished.

[Matteus Roos · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Historien känner honom under namnet Birger Jarl” 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Michel Iseneld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been 200 pages shorter

[Lovisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mindre händelserik än de två första, men ett värdigt avslut på trilogin!

[Annemie Meuleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 *

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okej så jag hade aldrig trott att jag faktiskt skulle gilla dessa böcker men denna triologi har överträffat mina förväntningar. Bok 2 och 3 var extremt bra och väldigt spännande! Rekommenderar!

[ines · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final part of the trilogy, unlike the first and second was a bit slow paced and monotone. It doesn't feel like much is happening except at the end when they go to battle again and we see the change in rule and the end of the story for Arn. The ending is also a good introduction into the standalone book Arn's Legacy which is about Arn's grandson.
In this book we see that Arn is truly extraordinary person, very smart and kind but fierce when needed. I would say he possesses true qualities for a knight. His life with Cecilia continues, he meets his son and their family expands. Arn starts building a church and basically all of his estate and this is much of the book, which to some might be interesting but to others quite dull. I'm not used to this kind of writing and found these long passages a bit dull to read. Overall however, it was a good book. It will especially appeal to those interested in history of Sweden before it was actually created and how influances from other parts of the world affected the people.
For the whole trilogy I give it 3 stars. As a whole it was interesting but not amazing, on parts quite boring but essentialy a good trilogy for those who like historical books.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book of the trilogy was not as good as the second but still very, very good.

My overall rating on the trilogy is a solid 4; the first was good, the second was excellent and the third very good. As I mentioned in the review of the first, I saw the movie (condensed version of the Swedish mini-series) and really enjoyed it; now I am glad that I saw it before I read the series, because it would have been a big disappointment. I hope that they release the mini-series sometime in the future, but even so, it still won't do the writing true justice.

Final note on this series is that there is another book that was written by Guillou that features the main character's grandson, who is actually an historical figure of note, although the main character in this series is fictional. This book still has not been translated into English, but hopefully HarperCollins will get on the ball with this sometime soon.

[Olena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately, every story has its end. And if it's a bright and captivating story with characters you've followed eagerly through several books, you always feel a bittersweet sadness when you turn the last page. That's how the Crusades trilogy about Arna by Jan Guillou feels to me. Moreover, while reading this book, I couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu - it evoked the same emotions in me as "Ivanhoe" did when I first picked it up at the age of 13. It was a pleasure to observe how the main character immersed himself in books and new knowledge with enthusiasm, how bravely he fought on the battlefield, how wise he was with both friends and enemies, and how his status grew from book to book as a new leader who brought prosperity to his land and showed the way for his tribe's development. A leader who possesses not only knowledge and courage but can also be an empathetic and sensitive man. I would recommend this book to all those who are passionate about chivalry and historical novels.

[Jose Luis Medrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tercer y ultimo libro de la Trilogía de las cruzadas, talvez sea el libro que menos me gusto de los tres, pero eso no quiere decir que no sea bueno. Trata de culminar el sufrimiento que la pareja principal tuvo que tener por mas de 10 anos, el en Tierra Santa como Templario y ella en un monasterio. En esta ocasión se dan guerras al estilo medieval y a toda regla. Lo que lamento de este libro es que termina esta excelente Trilogia, la mejor de todos los libros de las Cruzadas, como mencione en la reseña del primer libro, no se llena de toda esa simbología que se puso muy de moda como en los libros de Down Brown, sino que se centra en los personajes, en su entorno, en su pensamiento, en la política medieval que se tenia y en el pensamiento religioso de la epoca. Una gran Joya

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book dragged a bit as Arn returns from the Crusades and reunites with Cecilia and their eventual marriage. The book contains a lot of the customs of the times and gives a clear contrast between the skills and knowledge of the Saracens that accompany Arn with the Northern Swedes. Arn and his team set upon building an impregnable castle for the clan, establishing a trading hub and training the young men to be prepared in the inevitable war to come.
The book is full of the men and women who helped to establish the land that became known as Sweden and ended with the start of Birger Jarl's career.
I found this series of the foundation of Sweden an excellent way of learning about its early days as well as recognising how much could be learnt from the Saracens.

[Ylva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Så mycket jag njutit av att läsa serien om Arn måste jag ändå säga att jag tycker bättre om de två första böckerna. Den här hade potential i början. Jag gillade beskrivningen av hur folkkungaborgen byggdes upp. Genom hela boken saknade jag ändå en extra gnista. Berättandet kändes lite lamt och speciellt på slutet var det som att man bara ville att allt skulle ta slut. Vi beskriver de nödvändigaste händelserna och så är det slut. Det kändes som att självaste Arn tappat orken och gjorde allt på rutin.

Kanske beror det på mig? Har jag läst för mycket om riddare och borgar? Hade det varit bra med en längre paus mellan andra och tredje boken?

Eller så blev Arn helt enkelt gammal.

[Stephen Plank · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far and away the best trilogy that I have ever read. Having seen ARN, a movie that spun all three books into one movie - a gem, I had to read the books. The movie was the most expensive adventure that Sweden had ever put into a movie according to Wikipedia and it was worth it with one exception - this book was cut short in so may ways. To know that his life and love were not just a few months or years as portrayed in the movie made me so happy to read more about how he and his wife modernize their disjointed country for its freedom while enjoying life and love after so many years of unjust hardship at the hands of evil men and women.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, this was just OK for me, but I'm sure part of the reason it didn't seem better is that I read Books 1 & 2 of the trilogy a couple years ago. It took that long for this last one to get translated; I had forgotten some of the plot points and the characters were still a bit confusing (Danish/Swedish names are soooo hard to keep straight!) Anyway, this book on it's own was a little boring, with not very much action and a lot of description of fortifying castles/estates for pending invasions. Not my favorite, but glad I completed the trilogy.

[Lisbeth Sundman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was never interested in history in school, but to read about the formation of the Kingdom of sweden, about the hostility and fights between the different "tribes" and neighbour countries, about the development made possible with knowledge from other countries, about the church and it's powers, about slaves and labourers, about people's thougjts and beliefs - I could go on! It's hard to stop reading!

[Ash Gawain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arn Magnusson comes to Sweden after some time served in the Holy Land. As he can finally marry his wife and see his child for the first time after twenty years, he is not only tall, strong, blond and handsome. He is also awesome and, most importantly, rich. He uses his time and money to build a comfortable house with running water, while dispenses his political advice to Swedish noble men.
Not as good as the other two books.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers.

Excellent conclusion to a solid historical series.
Our hero returns from the Crusades and reunites with his lost love and son, and is involved with the early stages of the founding of Sweden.

[Ingrid Brennhagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

En historisk roman om folkegrupper, riddere, krig, konflikt, fred og kjærlighet i dagens Sverige rundt 1200. Litt treig i starten, men utrolig spennende mot slutten. Fin bok for litt historisk påfyll!