The Prince of Omeya By Anthony Fon Eisen

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This was the vision of the gypsy Hisham: Your destiny rides with you. The trail is long. I see it before you. And the shadow of death rides with you far, far away! I see morning and sunset and the desert. I see the white mare running and a sword behind her... And Abderahman, sole survivor of the once-powerful Ommiad dynasty of Syria, listened intently.

Here in the Wadi Zuran, sheltered by friendly Bedouins who did not ask questions about his identity, he felt safe for the first time since Cidi's warning, not a minute too soon, had plunged him into flight on the beautiful white mare Saffana. But he knew that the Caliph's men would search him out to the ends of the earth; the shadow of death rode with him, and his future was in the hands of Allah.

Thus begins this extraordinary tale of adventure, a drama of tense excitement that ranges across the vast Moslem world of the Middle Ages. For Abderahman, whose love for the shepherdess Alohra would have kept him in the Wadi Zuran forever, is forced to flee once more. Pursued relentlessly across the barren wastes of the Arabian desert, the young prince escapes to Egypt, only to find that the fame of his swift Syrian mare has preceded him. And so, on again, to the land of the Berbers, homeland of his new friend Tarrif, and finally, in a last desperate, hair-raising race across the Chott Djerid that left both horse and rider more dead than alive, to refuge with the fierce, war-loving Zenates. And it is there, among his mother's people, that Abderahman's destiny as prophesied by the gypsy Hisham comes clear: I see water-- wide water -- and a land beyond the water. I see banners and swords, many swords, flashing as on a field of battle, and voices that cry Hail to thee! Hail to thee! as for a leader of hosts!

Rich in history and the colorful detail of life in the Middle East and Africa during the 8th dentury, The Prince of Omeya is a splendid romance. The Prince of Omeya

What a wonderful book. I got it when the high school discarded books. I am cleaning out my shelves and picked this to see if I should keep it. It was so interesting! It was hard to put down. Anthony Fon Eisen I picked this book up thinking it looked like it could be good or it could be one of those boring books they seemed to love in the 60's that never really goes anywhere. Happily, it did turn out to be a keeper! This book has a great plot and I really enjoyed not knowing what to expect next. The author kept it interesting and developed quite a few wonderful characters. I really liked how he would set up one little situation and get you all comfortable and the next thing you know that is all gone and he sets you up with a whole new situation as well as new characters. The prince has a fantastic journey that spans hundreds of miles and several deserts. I really enjoyed the fact that this book managed to be interesting and well paced without all the drama and teen angst that more recent authors can't seem to do without. A refreshing change that I thoroughly enjoyed. Anthony Fon Eisen One of my all-time favorites, and a Christmas present to boot! I first read this in Jr High; it's stayed with me ever since. Anthony Fon Eisen A light novel based on the historical escape of Aburrahman I, the last surviving member of the once great Umayyad dynasty from Damascus after the Abbasid Revolt and to his rise of power as the first Sultan/Emir of Umayyad dynasty of al-Andalus in modern Spain.

The novel is a very nice page turner with likeable characters and great depictions of landscapes (mostly deserts), different people of the muslim world of the time from the Arabian peninsula to Egypt to Morocco and al-Andalus. It can be said that it is a very romanticized novel with very black/white characters.

One important issue here is besides the very key events (escape from Damascus, journey through north Africa, enthroning in Corboda), the novel deviates greatly from actual known facts and simply omits many key documented events/persons of the real like Abdurrahman I (e.g., death of his younger brother Yahya after their initial escape, him already having a son while on the run, his trusted Greek feedman Bedr assisting him through his journey, internal politics of al-Andalus and Aburrahman's clever maneuvering of the political environment).

So,
- if you are looking for a romanticized version of Aburrahman's escape and have a nice light novel, very good choice 4/5.
- if you are looking for a historial depiction of Abdurrahman's escape, rise to power, stay away 2/5. Anthony Fon Eisen I found it to be pretty good. Less of a young adult book than some of the other stuff I've read and enjoyed by Fon Eisen. Set in the Arabic world and the deserts of North Africa, and Spain. Anthony Fon Eisen