Just before the year 1000 a young Viking named Thorvald the Far-farer turned his back on the pagan gods of his fathers to preach the Christian gospel, travelling to Jerusalem, the golden heart of all medieval world maps. A thousand years later Victoria Clark retraces his epic voyage to discover how the dramatic events of Thorvald's Europe still resonate today. This is a compelling, highly acclaimed blend of history and travel, in the manner of William Dalrymple's bestselling From the Holy Mountain.

'Deeply engaging . . . The author's great sensitivity shines as brightly as ever it did in Why Angels Fall'

Independent on Sunday

'She writes books whose ambition and impressiveness must leave most of her journalist friends ill with envy'

Financial Times

'Entertaining, instructive and relevant'

Sunday Times Book of the Week

'I read every word of it, and went back over some of the chapters and read them again for sheer pleasure. A triumph'

John Cornwell, author of Hitler's Pope