"No member of this cast is a household name, but all of them demonstrate high-quality
dramatic skills in the presentation of the twelfth-century epic French poem considered by many to be
the first great piece of French literature."AudioFile

Since his youth, living in poverty in a cave in Italy, Roland's mother has taught him that someday he
will be a brave hero like his father, Milon, and serve with the great army of Charlemagne. He learns
from her that he is descended from great heroes of old and that his mother is Charlemagne's sister,
the Princess Bertha. When Charlemagne comes to Italy, Roland confronts the king, who rejoices to
find his long-lost sister and gives both her and her son a place of honor in his court. As Roland
becomes a man and a knight, he embarks on a quest to the Far East and becomes champion to
the Princess of Cathay.

One of the great medieval "songs of great deeds," this is a composite of several hero legends interlaced
with Christian moral sentiments. A remarkable panorama of medieval life and thought, The Song of
Roland truly reflects the spirit of the times.