The Relic Master - Rilegato

"An inspired piece of literary gymnastics [that] tumbles into an exuberant adventure caper. . . so tightly written that it holds the reader till the very last page. . . . a smart, tart, well-researched romp into one of history’s most irresistibly grubby and outrageous periods of excess.” (New York Times Book Review)

"We may be in 1517, but this is still a political send-up, and it’s as rascally and convivial as any that Mr. Buckley has written." (The Wall Street Journal)

“Buckley hasn’t abandoned political satire at all — he’s just found a different playing field for his favorite sport. The calamitous 16th century proves a supple mistress for this Washington writer.... lively, entertaining and occasionally educational.” (Washington Post)

“A classic, epic quest, like Indiana Jones gone medieval.... [A] rollicking plot filled with calamities, duplicity, intrigue and laugh-out-loud humor...even a little romance..... its comic moments recall Monty Python’s twisted histories.... The Relic Master is a hilarious, bawdy and irreverent frolic of a tale that lends Buckley’s deft waggish talents to a time long ago.” (USA Today)

“Christopher Buckley has transported his signature wit and irreverence from the Beltway to sixteenth-century Europe in The Relic Master. Think of it as Monty Python and the Holy Grail meets Pawn Stars, which is to say it's hilarious, absurd, and mildly infuriating (in a good way). You really can’t go wrong when one of America’s savviest humor writers takes on relic-mongers, artifact forgeries (about that Shroud of Turin . . .), and corrupt religious leaders. In short, The Relic Master is a rollicking good time set in an era just begging for Buckley’s biting satire.” (GQ)

“A witty, deft and often surprisingly big-hearted pleasure....Buckley is one of America’s wiliest satirists.” (Seattle Times)

“There’s plenty of fighting and fakery, deceit and rationalization, to go around. The political posturing, religious hypocrisy, and some of that old-time self-satirizing humor should entertain everyone.” (Boston Globe)

“Christopher Buckley takes his mordant wit from inside the Beltway to the Holy Roman Empire of 1517....Mr. Buckley mines brilliantly for comedic effect.” (New York Times)

“Ocean’s-style capers and Spamalot slapstick ensue.” (New York Magazine)

"Beguiling, funny, and slyly erudite." (National Review)

Christopher Buckley is a novelist, essayist, humorist, critic, magazine editor, and memoirist. His books include Thank You for Smoking, The Judge Hunter, Make Russia Great Again, and The Relic Master. He worked as a merchant seaman and White House speechwriter. He has written for many newspapers and magazines and has lectured in over seventy cities around the world. He was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor and the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence.