Out of the Lion's Maw

by Witold Makowiecki (author) and Tom Pinch (author, translator)

A European bestseller, in print continuously since 1946, now for the first time in English.
 

An elderly Zoroastrian priest and his teenage apprentice, a dark plot to foment a civil war. Can the two thwart it?

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570 BC. The Old Mountain Lion, the predatory king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, has destroyed empires, razed cities, driven whole nations into slavery. Now, he sews discord in the Mediterranean to soften up another victim for a surprise attack. It is up to the two unlikely heroes to try to foil the plot, persuade kings, priests, bureaucrats, and generals to change their course. They race against the clock across the Mediterranean, pursued by spies, assassins, and eventually the whole state apparatus of eternal Egypt.

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A classic tale of high adventure, full of white-knuckle twists and turns, cliffhangers and last-minute escapes, engaging characters, and sparkling humor. Continuously in print across Eastern Europe since 1946, it has been compared to The Treasure Island and The Three Musketeers.

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Come, find out what the world has been reading for 70 years!

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The Author

Witold Makowiecki (1903-1946) was a Polish agricultural engineer. Under German occupation during World War II, he took up writing to entertain his family and friends. He is the author of popular adventure novels set in the ancient Mediterranean. Each book is a stand-alone volume, but the appearance of several characters connects them all. His books were published only after his death, but due to their superior literary quality, fast action and delightful humor, they have remained in print since their original publication in 1946, in Polish and several foreign languages.