14 h 25 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Two brothers love the same woman. How much can honor ask them to surrender?
In H. Rider Haggard’s The Brethren, Sir Godfrey and Sir Wulf d’Arcy share blood, a knight’s code, and their love for Rosamund. Their English home offers no lasting peace. A great loss sends them eastward, where a difficult rescue tests the bonds they hold most dear. Rosamund, meanwhile, wants to follow her own conscience.
Their quest crosses Europe and the Middle East into the wars of the Crusades. Richard the Lionheart places their private struggle within a larger conflict. Saladin emerges as a wise, courteous opponent worthy of respect. Amid swords and sieges, the brothers face demands that pull against one another: love, faith, loyalty, and the duty to keep their word.
What you’ll discover
- Brotherhood under strain Follow Godfrey and Wulf as shared love puts their deepest loyalties to the test.
- A woman with conscience Meet Rosamund, whose fate draws the brothers eastward, yet whose own wishes still matter.
- An enemy worth respecting Encounter a Saladin whose dignity challenges any easy division between hero and foe.
- The cost of honor Explore what these knights are willing to lose rather than betray their word.
- The sweep of saga Settle into courtly speech and rich storytelling that give adventure a stately rhythm.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who enjoy old-fashioned adventure, medieval settings and stories of love tested by duty. It is also good for anyone curious about the Crusades in fiction. If you want quick pacing and modern language, its stately style may feel slow.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two brothers share one great love
- A loss pulls the story eastward
- Saladin is drawn as a worthy foe
- Faith and war make hard demands
- Honor and sacrifice are the real subjects
- Haggard tells it like a saga
Who’s who
- Sir Godfrey d'ArcyOne of the two knightly brothers, an honest man who loves Rosamund and holds to his word and to his brother.
- Sir Wulf d'ArcyGodfrey's brother, a brave knight who shares his love for Rosamund and his sense of honor, and who will follow him anywhere.
- RosamundA lady of spirit whose fate draws both brothers eastward, and who wants to act by her own conscience.
- SaladinThe Muslim sultan, shown as a wise and courteous ruler who earns the respect of his Christian opponents.
- Richard the LionheartThe king of England and leader of the Crusade, whose presence places the brothers' private quest within a great war.
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- 15-minute summary
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Brethren
by H. Rider Haggard· 1904
Two English knights pursue a rescue during the Crusades.
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Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
Two brothers share one great love
The story opens in England, among a family of knights, the d'Arcys. The two heroes are Sir Godfrey and Sir Wulf, brothers who are bound together by blood, by the code of knighthood and by long habit. Haggard presents them as men who would trust each other with their lives. That trust is the foundation of the book, and it is the thing the plot will press upon.
The woman they both care for is Rosamund, a lady of their own circle. She is the center of the household's hopes and of the brothers' hearts. Haggard gives her spirit and a mind of her own, so she is not only a prize to be won. Her presence turns a friendship between brothers into a delicate matter.
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The author
H. Rider Haggard
1856–1925 · English adventure novelist
Henry Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was an English novelist. He was born in Norfolk, lived in southern Africa from 1875 to 1881, and later settled in Norfolk. He wrote King Solomon’s Mines (1885), She (1887), and Beatrice (1890). He also wrote about agriculture and rural life. He died in London.
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What is The Brethren by H. Rider Haggard about?
It is an adventure novel set in the time of the Crusades. Two English knights, who are brothers, travel east because of their love for a lady, and meet Saladin, war and hard choices about honor.
When was The Brethren written?
Haggard published it in 1904. It is a work of fiction set in the late twelfth century, during the era of Saladin and the Third Crusade, and it is not a true story, though it uses real history as a backdrop.
Who are Godfrey and Wulf in The Brethren?
They are the two knightly brothers of the d'Arcy family at the heart of the story. They are close, honorable and bound by a shared love for Rosamund, which tests their loyalty to each other.
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