"The story centers on Roland", Charlemagne’s bold and proud nephew, the foremost of the **Twelve Paladins**—a legendary band of knights sworn to serve their Emperor. After years of successful campaigning against the Saracens in Spain, Charlemagne seeks a final, difficult peace. It is here that the dark seed of treachery is sown. Roland’s overzealous honor and insistence on continued warfare enrages his stepfather, **Count Ganelon**. When Roland suggests Ganelon as the envoy to the treacherous Saracen King Marsilius, Ganelon plots a terrible revenge. Follow Roland and his inseparable friend, the wise **Olivier**, as they command the rearguard through the narrow, desolate **Pass of Roncesvalles**. They fall victim to Ganelon’s betrayal, facing an overwhelming ambush by the Saracen hordes. Readers will be captivated by the dramatic tension as Olivier desperately urges Roland to blow his magical horn, **Olifant**, to summon the Emperor. Roland, driven by his fierce sense of **pride and chivalric honor**, refuses, believing calling for aid would stain his glory. The climax is a devastating spectacle of heroic sacrifice. Roland fights with the fury of a demigod, wielding his mighty sword, **Durendal**, until nearly every man is lost. Only in his final moments, when all hope is gone and the veins in his neck burst, does he sound the Olifant, a mournful call that is heard by the returning Emperor. The book concludes with Charlemagne’s heartbreaking discovery of the fallen hero and his subsequent, fiery **vengeance** against the Saracens and the final, gruesome **trial and execution of the traitor Ganelon**. Baldwin’s adaptation is a compelling entry point into the world of epic poetry and medieval history. It is an unforgettable tale that explores the eternal questions of duty versus friendship and the devastating consequences of personal pride. An essential classic for any collection focused on European legends, knights, and heroic literature.