Leper kings, duplicitous priests, necromancers, assassins, rocs, manticores and the six heads of John the Baptist all make an appearance in this mad-as-a-box-of-frogs tale, recounted by the world’s greatest liar, of a quest to find the mythical Prester John, against the backdrop of the sack of Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. The exuberant inventiveness and Pythonesque humour never overwhelm the just-another-chapter urgency of the witty, tricksy narrative. Probably my favourite Eco. #baudolino #umbertoeco #medievalmadcap #byzantium #fourthcrusade #presterjohn #barbarossa #oldmanofthemountains #constantinople #myths #legends #quests #literatureintranslation #williamweaver #books #bookstagram #bibliophilia https://www.instagram.com/p/CDgVsY2HZNT/?igshid=12steqtuj4vz1