The Prester Quest [Hardcover]

Nicholas Jubber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2006

In 1177, Pope Alexander III wrote a letter to the elusive King of the Indies, otherwise known as Prester John. The person who was selected and set out to deliver this letter into the hand of Prester John was never heard of again. 824 years later, armed with a copy of Pope Alexander's letter, Nick Jubber set out from Venice with the intention of somewhat belatedly completing Master Philip's mission. Over the next four months he would travel by bus, train, tractor, and horse-drawn cart around the Eastern Mediterranean, through the Middle East and North Africa before homing in on Ethiopia and the closely-guarded tomb of a medieval king who legend links with the mythical, mystical figure of Prester John.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...bright with medieval fervor for the obscure, yet softened by skepticism and unflagging humor. -- Independent --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Nicholas Jubber was educated at Downside School and Oxford University. His travels have taken him through South America, Africa and many parts of Asia, and he has written for the 'Observer', the 'Tablet', Boston's 'Globe and Mail' and the 'Lebanese Daily Star'. THE PRESTER QUEST is his first book.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers; First Edition edition (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385607024
• ISBN-13: 978-0385607025
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Travel > Africa > Ethiopia & Djibouti

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars On a mission to deliver: a letter written in 1177 by Pope Alexander III, May 5, 2007

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prester Quest (Hardcover)

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

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary odyssey, September 23, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Prester Quest (Hardcover)

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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read!, July 18, 2011

By 

Lorraine P. Zigman (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Prester Quest (Paperback)

I have just started reading this book, and am already fascinated by it. I am, by nature, always curious about ancient history and/or myths/legends such as Prester John. Whether or not he actually ever existed is anyones guess. However, this will definitely be a 'good read'. The author, Nicholas Jubber, shows his own incredibly wonderful sense of humor from the beginning. I would highly recommend this for anyone who has an inquisitive mind and enjoys exploring, via books, a long ago mysterious person who, whether in fact of myth, sparked the interest of all and sundry including Pope Alexander III in 1177.