Gentlemen of the Road

Excellent short novel by Michael Chabon. In his afterword he wrote that he wanted the title to be Jews With Swords-his own joke. You'll have to read it in his own words to understand. Gentlemen of the Road shares with the reader a relatively short adventure in the lives of two best friends, Amran, the large African, and Zelikman, the skinny northerner in the Caucasus Mountains in 950 a.d. There is a map at the beginning of the book, thank goodness, for non-historians like me who need to orient themselves. Amran and Zelikman meet a young man who claims to be a prince of the Khazar Empire. This foul-mouthed and moody prince leads the friends into an adventure that risks both of their lives. Chabon explores the personalities of both main characters while keeping the action flowing. There is mystery, politics, and a tiny bit of romance that make this book very enjoyable.