The Heritage of Arn

by Jan Guillou.

This is a follow-up book about Birger jarl, the founder of Stockholm. It is fictionalized and Birjer Jarl is Arn's grandson.

The book is based on Swedish history and legends and it takes great artistic freedoms. The book begins when Birger is a young man who has just lost his father Magnus and grandfather Arn Magnusson. He is groomed by his mother to become a fully fledged general and a statesman.

Cunning in war, finance, politics and theology, Birger Jarl slowly seizes power over the country and makes Finland part of Sweden.

Guillou also wrote The Crusades trilogy, consists of the following books:

The Road to Jerusalem, originally ' Vägen till Jerusalem', (1998)
The Knight Templar, originally 'Tempelriddaren', (1999)
The Kingdom at the End of the Road, originally 'Riket vid vägens slut', (2000)