THE BLACK ROSE sprang out of Thomas B. Costain’s fascination for two magnificent figures of the 13th century who lived at opposite ends of the world: Bayan of the Hundred Eyes, the greatest, most colourful general of the Mongol armies, and Roger Bacon, the most famous of the early scientists. To fill in the background with authentic details, Mr. Costain read or consulted over 500 books as well as numerous documents and diaries. He even employed a Chinese scholar and a research worker who could read medieval Latin and French.But when he came to weave his tale around the real people and events, he found his characters running away with the story and turning history into high adventure and romance. The result is a superb love story bridging East and West and filled with the tang of the most sought-after spice in the Orient, the black rose.