The Song of Roland (Dover Thrift Editions)

The first and greatest of French literature's epics, this eleventh-century tale of romance and heroism embodies all the power and majesty of its predecessors from other cultures. Its narrative framework echoes that of classical mythology, and it melds European historic accounts and legends of the troubadours with folklore from the Far East. This crystalline translation by Leonard Bacon does full justice to the timeless tale of the warrior Roland, nephew to Charlemagne and prince of the Holy Roman Empire. A patriotic and poetic story of valor, betrayal, and revenge, it represents a landmark in world literature.