ABOUT
THE BOOK

In the year A.D. 1522, twenty-five-year-old Suleiman the Magnificent, ruled the mighty Ottoman Empire, the largest military force in the world. Bent on annihilation, his army of more than 100,000 men set ashore on the tiny Greek island of Rhodes.
Inside the fortressed city, Philippe de L’Isle Adam, the battle-hardened Grand Master of the Knights of St. John, and his small band of 500 European Knights prepared to defend their home against the massive attack. Both men, leaders of their people and defenders of their faiths, prepared for battle, each aware that victory would require great sacrifice… but unaware of just how great that sacrifice would be.
The Shadow of God is the true story of the clash between the West’s greatest cultures and religions on a battlefield that would test their courage and resolve. Anthony A. Goodman’s masterful storytelling brings you into the centre of the action as Suleiman’s Muslim army tries to force its way over, through and under the walls of Rhodes. Scimitars clash against broad-swords and burning oil cascades down on advancing troops while days turn into weeks and months of fear, death and unshakeable faith.
This gripping saga comes to life through an unforgettable cast of historical characters, including Jean and Melina, forbidden lovers trying to protect their new family in the wake of the attack; Gabriele Tadini, the wily mercenary whose clever ploys hold off the invading army against all odds; two Jewish doctors caught on different sides of the fight; a furtive spy behind the knight’s walls; Philippe, the wise and determined leader of the Knights of St. John; and the great Sultan Suleiman, a young man struggling to live up to his title as the Shadow of God on Earth.