Arthur Gilcrest Brodeur

The Adventures of Faidit and Cercamon Arthur Gilcrest Brodeur

Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1888-1971) is the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" among the pulp writers-as a professor of English and Germanic Philology at Berkeley, University of California, he is known for his translation of the 13th century Scandinavian mythological work Edda and his scholarly work on the Old English epic poem Beowulf, but in the early stages of his career he also wrote exciting historical adventures-sometimes in collaboration with his friend Farnham Bishop-for the pulp magazines Adventure and Argosy. This volume collects all the stories of Brodeur's medieval heroes Pierre of the Sword and Cercamon the Troubadour which were published in Adventure between 1921 and 1925. Set in the middle of the 12th century Brodeur tells exciting tales about dramatic sieges and battles, deadly political intrigues, tournaments and duels with noble and not so noble opponents and bloody fights against ruthless outlaw gangs. Rich in historical detail-which never distracts from the adventure-Brodeur brings to life the medieval world of Southern France, Normandy, England, Moorish Spain and the Holy Land. Some of the stories feature the quick-witted swordsman Pierre Faidit, some his equal in swordsmanship and cleverness, the troubadour Cercamon, and still others both of them-first on different sides, but later on as brothers-in-arms when they join young Henry Plantagenet, Duke of Normandy, in his struggle for the crown of England.