Gates of Empire and Other Tales of the Crusades

Gates of Empire presents eight of Robert E. Howard’s classic adventure stories, all of which are set during the Crusades. Stories include “Red Blades of Black Cathay,” “Hawks of Outremer,” “Blood of Belshazzar,” “The Sowers of the Thunder,” “The Lion of Tiberias,” “The Shadow of the Vulture” and “Gates of Empire”.

Treasures of Tartary and Other Heroic Tales

A collection of very different stories. From the introduction: 

One situation which Howard liked to use was the American hero in the Middle East. In the opening paragraph of “Treasures of Tartary,” it is Kirby O’Donnell who finds himself plunging into the middle of a battle in a dark alley in Shahrazar. Though O’Donnell is an American, he dresses like an Arab, is fluent in their languages, and is burned so dark by the sun that he can pass for a native, which he does in this story. None of the other characters are aware of his true identity. Yet Howard frequently refers to O’Donnell as “the American,” reminding the reader that O’Donnell is an outsider, someone who despite his appearance will always be a Westerner and not truly a part of the surroundings in which he finds himself.