Eaters of the Dead - Softcover

Michael Crichton

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099222825 ISBN 13: 9780099222828

Publisher: Arrow/Children's (a Division of Random House, 2000

Synopsis

The Eaters of the Dead is a brilliant, stirring tale of historical adventure which deserves a place on readers bookshelves alongside Michael Crichton's bestselling techno-thrillers. It is AD922 and Ibn Fadlan is sent north from Baghdad as a peaceful ambassador. But before he reaches his destination, he falls in with some Vikings and when they are attacked by mystical bloodthirsty creatures in the midst of a terrible fog, he reluctantly agrees to become the prophesied 13th warrior in order for them to survive.Later turned into a major Hollywood film, Eaters of the Dead is an imaginative and breathlessly exciting retelling of the Beowulf myth that rescues the story from dry academic analysis and resurrects it as an action-packed story of adventure.

About this title

Review:

Michael Crichton takes the listener on a one-thousand-year-old journey in his adventure novel Eaters Of The Dead. This remarkable true story originated from actual journal entries of an Arab man who traveled with a group of Vikings throughout northern Europe. In 922 A.D, Ibn Fadlan, a devout Muslim, left his home in Baghdad on a mission to the King of Saqaliba. During his journey, he meets various groups of "barbarians" who have poor hygiene and gorge themselves on food, alcohol and sex. For Fadlan, his new traveling companions are a far stretch from society in the sophisticated "City of Peace." The conservative and slightly critical man describes the Vikings as "tall as palm trees with florid and ruddy complexions." Fadlan is astonished by their lustful aggression and their apathy towards death. He witnesses everything from group orgies to violent funeral ceremonies. Despite the language and cultural barriers, Ibn Fadlan is welcomed into the clan. The leader of the group, Buliwyf (who can communicate in Latin) takes Fadlan under his wing.

Without warning, the chieftain is ordered to haul his warriors back to Scandinavia to save his people from the "monsters of the mist." Ibn Fadlan follows the clan and must rise to the occasion in the battle of his life. The unabridged story is read by actor Victor Garber (Titanic; The First Wives Club), who brings life and a personality to the plot--convincingly portraying each character with appropriate accents. Crichton also sets the stage in the beginning and chimes in every so often to clarify historical places and events. If you love historical action thrillers, but are short on time, this audio book packs an epic journey into a three hour adventure. --Gina Kaysen (Running time: 3 Hours; 2 cassettes)

From the Back Cover:

From the bestselling author of Jurassic Park, an epic tale of unspeakable horror

The year is A.D. 922.  A refined Arab courtier, representative of the powerful Caliph of Baghdad, encounters a party of Viking warriors who are journeying to the barbaric North. He is appalled by their Viking customs—the wanton sexuality of their pale, angular women, their disregard for cleanliness . . . their cold-blooded human sacrifices. But it is not until they reach the depths of the Northland that the courtier learns the horrifying and inescapable truth: he has been enlisted by these savage, inscrutable warriors to help combat a terror that plagues them—a monstrosity that emerges under cover of night to slaughter the Vikings and devour their flesh . . .

“Crichton knows how to craft a tale, one that keeps the reader turning the pages.”—Houston Chronicle

“Michael Crichton is one of our most gifted popular novelists. A true son of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. . . . A master of plausible and frightening scenarios. . . . He is a connoisseur of catastrophe.”—Los Angeles Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Arrow/Children's (a Division of Random House
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0099222825
• ISBN 13: 9780099222828
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 278