The Emperor's Elephant (Saxon, 2)

The second book in Tim Severin's thrilling historical adventure series set in Saxon times.

Sigwulf, a Saxon prince who has found himself at the court of King Carolus in France, is summoned by the royal advisor. A rare white elephant has been sent as a gift from the Caliph of Baghdad – and Carolus is determined to send an embassy to the Caliph bearing presents of equal prize to encourage good political relations.
Sigwulf and his companions Osric and Walo are sent on a deadly mission to search the wild northlands of Europe for the rarest of creatures for the Caliph, including a giant, lethal wild ox, elusive hunting falcons and polar bears. Every animal they capture must be white, the royal colour of Baghdad.
But it seems that someone is trying to prevent the embassy from succeeding. As they set out with their menagerie of creatures across the hot, dusty roads to the Middle East, Sigwulf finds them ambushed at every corner . . .

Tim Severin, explorer, filmmaker, and lecturer has retraced the storied journeys of Saint Brendan the Navigator, Sindbad the Sailor, Jason and the Argonauts, Ulysses, Genghis Khan and Robinson Crusoe. His books about these expeditions are classics of exploration and travel. He made his historical fiction debut with the hugely successful Viking series, followed by the Pirate series. Saxon: The Book of Dreams was the first in the new Saxon series, and this, Saxon: The Emperor's Elephant, is the second. Visit Tim's website to find out more about his books and expeditions: www.timseverin.net Follow Tim on Facebook: Facebook.com/TimSeverinAuthor