The Prester Quest

The participants in this mission, Nicholas Jubber and Mike Hirst set out to deliver a letter written by Pope Alexander III in 1177 to Prester John. On their journey to deliver (albeit 824 years late) Nicholas Jubber manages to combine historical knowledge and legend with contemporary reality in a way which is simultaneously eccentric, amusing and highly informative. There are a number of different journeys being depicted in this novel, and they are each worth reading about. Read it as a contemporary travelogue on a medieval mission, read it as a commentary on some of the issues that are as topical today as they were when the original 12th century missive was written. You choose! I recommend this to anyone with an interest in the legendary Prester John, as well as to anyone who likes reading about the travails of travel. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

In 1177 Pope Alexander III wrote a letter to the Priest-King of the Indies and chose his physician to delivery it -even though the legendary monarch's kingdom was hidden. Master Philip set out to find it and delivery the letter and vanished: centuries later author Nicholas Jubber fond a copy of the pope's original letter and decided to deliver it himself. THE PRESTER QUEST blends history with an adventure travelogue to make for an extraordinary odyssey. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch