Read more
It's 13-century Europe and a young monk, Michael Scot, has been asked by the Holy Roman Emperor to translate the works of Aristotle and recover his 'lost' knowledge. The Scot sets to his task, traveling from the Emperor's Italian court to the translation schools of Toledo and from there to the Moorish library of Córdoba. But when the Pope deems the translations heretical, the Scot refuses to desist. So begins a battle for power between Church and State-one that has shaped how we view the world today.
About the author
Elizabeth MacDonald was born in Dublin, where she studied Italian and Music at University College Dublin. She was awarded an Italian government scholarship and pursued post-graduate studies at the Università del Sacro Cuore, 'La Cattolica', Milan. She then taught English at the University of Bari for two years before moving to Pisa, where she still lives with her husband and son. She has taught on the post-graduate course in Translation at the University of Pisa and translates both from and into Italian.
Summary
This stunning debut, rich with the political intrigue of medieval Europe and imbued with the intense colour of Moorish Spain, deftly outlines a battle for power between Church and State - the outcome of which has shaped how we view the world today.
