{"product_id":"2026200016182-secondhand-the-song-of-roland","title":"The Song Of Roland","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Previous owner\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of medieval European literature stands The Song of Roland, an epic poem that chronicles the heroic last stand of Charlemagne's greatest paladin at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 AD. Roland, the fearless commander of the Frankish rearguard, is betrayed by the treacherous Ganelon and left to face an overwhelming Saracen army, yet his unyielding pride prevents him from sounding his famous horn — the Oliphant — to summon aid until it is too late. With thundering cavalry charges, fierce single combat, and soaring laments for the fallen, the poem presents a world where martial honour, Christian faith, and feudal loyalty are the supreme virtues by which a man is measured.\n\nComposed in Old French around the late 11th century, this anonymous masterwork stands as the oldest and most celebrated of the chansons de geste — the songs of great deeds — that shaped the literary imagination of the Middle Ages. Its themes of duty versus pride, sacrifice, and divine justice resonate with a universality that has ensured its survival across nearly a millennium. This Penguin Classics edition makes the poem accessible to the modern reader without sacrificing the raw, percussive power of the original verse. Whether Roland's death is an act of glorious martyrdom or catastrophic hubris remains a question that haunts every reading — and demands an answer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49342775165147,"sku":"2026200016182-SECONDHAND","price":10.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/4e8359dd-7d6c-4b14-8e00-200c0b0fce54.png?v=1790049167","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200016182-secondhand-the-song-of-roland","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}