A terrific read. Never a dull moment anywhere! This is one of the best works of historical fiction ever written. The book revolves around Omar Khayyam, the poet and polymath of Nishapur, and his Rubaiyaat (quatrains). I would say the manuscript of his Rubaiyaat is the main focus of the book overall. The author takes us all over the orient, from Samarkand to Istanbul, and even the occident like France and the US. We see the manuscript travelling from place to place, a 1000 year history. From the Seljuq Empire in the 11th century, to the Iranian constitutional revolution in the 20th century, this book has something in store for everyone.