Olaf's Saga

It is 1235 Ad in Trondheim, Norway, as King Haakon Sigurdsson Iv worries what will become of a Viking king without the strength to wage battle or the wisdom to lead. Desperate for answers, he summons a mystical storyteller from Iceland to tell him the sagas of former kings. Soon, Snorri Sturlson arrives at the Norwegian castle to relay the story of King Olaf Tyggvason to the current king with hopes of restoring his belief that he too, can be a noble leader. From the moment he is born into royalty, it seems Olaf is destined for greatness. But when his family's kingdom is overthrown by Earl Haakon, tenyearold Olaf is captured and sold as a slave by pirates. As Olaf embarks on a comingofage journey where he must struggle to regain his kingdom and fight for the woman he loves, he brings word of Christianity to Norway and sends Leif Erickson to discover a new world in 1000 Ad. But Olaf's determination to recover what he has lost may end up costing him more than he ever imagined. In this novel based on a true story, a Norwegian king sacrifices everything to battle for his kingdom and the heart of his true love, ultimately becoming one of the greatest adventurers the world has ever known.

David Rosten studied Scandinavian history at UCLA and at the University of Copenhagen. Mr. Rosten has degrees in political science and international and comparative law. He is a community director for the Center for Citizenpeacebuilding, Department of Social Sciences at the University of California, and on the national board of directors for the Olive Tree Initiative at U.C. Irvine. He is former cochair of the Dean's Council at U.C. Irvine. He currently lives in Newport Beach with his children