The Falcon of Palermo [Hardcover]

Maria R. Bordihn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2005

The Falcon of Palermo opens with the nations of modern Europe just beginning to take shape, while the papacy clings to its temporal power. Into this era of shifting borders and alliances steps a leader who will become legendary—the brilliant maverick Frederick II. After losing his parents, Emperor Henry Hohenstaufen and Queen Constance, by age four, a young, neglected Frederick runs among the urchins in the Muslim quarter while German warlords overrun Sicily. To restore order the Pope sends Archbishop Berard, a warmhearted man who gradually develops a deep bond with the gifted boy. Fluent in Arabic and strongly influenced by Muslim culture, Frederick aims to return Sicily to her former glory. However, when elected Holy Roman Emperor in a surprise move by the German princes, his vision grows. Once established as the unchallenged ruler, Frederick works to create an empire equal to that of Rome. Marked by his struggle with the Papacy for the domination of Europe, his glorious feats in battle, his recapturing of the Holy Land, his falconry, and the passions that led him to wives, mistresses, and one enduring love, Frederick's life is a fascinating glimpse into a pivotal period in medieval history.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bordihn's scrupulously researched debut brims with drama, passion and personalities ranging from the scandalous to the sublime. After the untimely deaths of his parents (his father was the tyrannical German emperor Henry of Hohenstaufen), emperor-to-be Frederick II is on his own, mingling with street urchins in 13th-century Sicily's Muslim quarter as his homeland is besieged by German warlords. When Pope Innocent sends Archbishop Berard to quell the chaos, the green-eyed boy-king and the avuncular bishop become fast friends. Surprisingly, German princes and the pope elect Frederick Holy Roman Emperor, but he's not the malleable leader they were hoping for. Brilliant and headstrong, Frederick aspires to build an empire to equal Rome, even if it means defying the church (he was excommunicated twice). Frederick's appetite for power is nearly rivaled by his lust for beautiful women (marriage doesn't preclude him from bedding a bevy of fair-skinned lovelies). He also studies Roman history and astrology, writes poetry and excels at falconry. When, on his deathbed, Frederick laments his failures as a leader, lifelong confidante Berard reminds him of his triumphs: "You gave men a vision of enlightenment, justice and tolerance. You gave them hope." Bordihn renders vivid descriptions of the medieval era (bejeweled costumes, bloody battles, the pomp of the royal court) in this engrossing account of a legendary ruler both revered and reviled. Agent, Rogers, Coleridge and White. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

This fascinating fictional account of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II is realistically detailed with all the pomp, pageantry, poverty, and pestilence of the Middle Ages. Born into uncertainty and upheaval, Frederick, the son of Henry Hohenstaufen, is orphaned and running wild in the Muslim quarter of Palermo at an early age. Taken under the wise and kindly wing of an archbishop sent by the pope to recover papal lands that had been stolen in a Sicily overrun by German invaders, Frederick begins the seminal tutelage that sets him on his remarkable journey toward greatness. Amazingly sympathetic to Arabic mores and culture, Frederick blends elements of East and West during his reign as king of Sicily. When Frederick is eventually elected Holy Roman Emperor, intrigue, power struggles, political machinations, and religious controversies run rampant as he struggles to maintain and extend control over a difficult empire. Bordihn artfully humanizes her larger than life subject in this remarkably intelligent and entertaining fictional biography. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (January 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871138808
• ISBN-13: 978-0871138804
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing subject and obvious colossal research marred by flat telling of amazing life, December 29, 2005

By 

Scott Schiefelbein (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Falcon of Palermo (Hardcover)

Maria Bordihn's "The Falcon of Palermo" does a major service for modern readers by telling a fictionalized account of one of history's truly great players, Frederick II. Unfortunately, by choosing to tell Frederick's entire story in one novel, Bordihn skims along the surface and generally resorts to the crutch of "telling" the reader what's going on, rather than "showing."

It's a wonder that while the genre of historical fiction is crammed with multiple versions of the lives of Julius Caeasr, Henry V, and the other "Great Nasmes" that Frederick II really has gone ignored. Here is a man who lived an entire life of rich conflict. Reared among both Christians and Muslims on the island of Sicily, Frederick was a remarkable example of religious tolerance at at time when the slightest questioning of official church doctrine got you burnt at the stake for heresy. He also survived assassination attempts, fought to unify a horrendously-splintered Germany and Italy, and also fought to bring European scholarship back to Roman levels. This is a character for the ages.

Bordihn's telling of Frederick's life tries to do too much in too slight a novel. Reading Brodihn's book, I was reminded of Sharon Kay Penman's illustrious novels about the rise of Henry Plantagenat and Eleanor of Aquitane. Henry and Frederick were similar dynamos who dominated their age with charm, romance, arrogance, and military genius. But Penman took much longer to tell her tale (in multiple books, no less), and as a result Henry's world comes alive, while Bordihn's story falls sort of flat.

And Bordihn comes nowhere close to the magnificent recreation of the Roman world from Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series.

In general, the chapters are too darn short. Several chapters feel as if they are thrown in just to show a specific event occurring, and then we quickly move on to other events. There are several chapters where a character is put "on stage" merely to learn X, and then we get reaction Y, and then we move on. In so doing, Bordihn does not give the reader a chance to linger with these characters (other than Frederick and Bishop Berard, who are in the majority of the scenes).

For example, Frederick's eldest son and heir Henry, fails to register because he's offstage for 99% of the novel. This, despite the fact that he leads a rebellion against his father! An entire book could have focused on this tortured relationship, and yet Henry is little more than a cipher.

While Bordihn does spend quite a bit of time in Frederick's bedroom, to pretty good effect, the battlefield really gets short shrift here. Most battles occupy less than a page. After reading Stephen Pressfield, Bernard Cornwell, McCullough, and other masters of the genre of historical fiction, Bordihn's efforts here fall short.

One cannot quibble with Bordihn's research -- this book should qualify for several bonus points toward an advanced degree of some sort. Unfortunately, the story Ms. Brodihn tells based on all that research is too pedestrian and hurried to match her subject.

Still, I'm much more interested in this time period than I was before reading this book, and for that I thank Ms. Bordihn profusely.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping historical novel, February 12, 2005

By 

Stephan Berger (Naples, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Falcon of Palermo (Hardcover)

"The Falcon of Palermo" is a gripping historical novel.

Its author, Maria R. Bordihn, introduced me to one of the most colourful and dazzling personalities in history: Frederic II of Hohenstaufen, King of Sicily and Germany, Roman Emperor and King of Jerusalem.

I felt physically moved into the 13th century, where I took part in Frederic's life. I followed him in his search for the truth and came to admire him for his exceptional tolerance for other cultures and religions.

Bordihn tells the story of his life, his struggle with the papacy and the crusades, his search for power, for freedom for his people and last, but not least, the story of his great passion for Bianca Lancia.

Bordihn's historical facts are accurate. Her Frederic is vividly human and all the main characters she convincingly introduces really existed.

This is a very well written book you will be unable to put down. You will solely regret the fact that there is no sequel to it.

4.0 out of 5 stars What historical fiction should be, December 9, 2011

By 

Topolino "Lisa" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Falcon of Palermo: A Novel (Paperback)

This is the exceptionally historically accurate account of the life of Fredrick II Holy Roman Emperor and king of Sicily. A captivating and interesting man to say the least, he grew up wandering the streets of Palermo from a young age after the death of his parents, during which he developed an understanding of Muslim ways and life. The man kept a harem, a zoo, spoke 6 languages like a native, and while on crusade, obtained control of Jerusalem without spilling a drop of blood..Christian or Muslim. He did so, while under papal excommunication! The first half of his life is dominated by his struggles with the papacy, Gregory IX, and by trying to unite the kingdoms of Sicily and Germany.

This is what a historical novel should be, historically informative and accurate, where the storyteller fills in the gaps in history and creates a story that gives a glimpse into the possible motivations of the various personalities involved. The author clearly has a love and fascination for Fredrick, who could not be fascinated by the man, and has created a captivating and engaging novel, well written and addicting.