All the Books in Assassin's Creed II Revelations

I work in bookstore for 5 years and You can underestand my passion about the books.
So-called "Books missions" and books collections replaced the paintings from the previous games of Ezio's trilogy but I loved that. Some of these books I've already read but many of them I didn't even hear before. I was so inspired by that (when I played this game for the first time I was 12 years old so I really was).

I love to read books from my childhood and I really appreciate the idea that put this in the game. I believe that it was som kind of kicker for a lot of people to value and search for the best books.

As an old Russian proverb says: "Life is too short to read all good books. So we have to read those best." So let's have a look on these books. This "guide" contains all describtion of the books in the game. Enjoy, inspire, read !!!

"The Siege"

Some basic information about the books and their meaning in the game.

In the lore, as you can know, you will find five Masyaf keys including some of the memories of Altair to unlock The Great Library. During the main story, you will get some of the books leading to the keys. Other books you have to buy in bookshops in Constantinople or Cappadocia. Some of them are specially hidden so you have to pass a few side missions - a "Book quests".

Every collected book will appear in your Constantinople's main assassins' hideout in Galata headquarter where you can find short characteristics of every book (this "guide" is about show them all - my idea of that is to offer an inspiration). After finding all books you will unlock the achievement "The Siege" and then will unlock a special scene with Sofia Sartor.

Ezio studying the Masyaf keys.

I. Books from the Books Quests hidden in Constantinople by Maffeo and Niccolo Polo brothers

Mission to Constantinople
Liutprand of Cremona
A peculiar work of reportage dating from the 10th century CE, “Mission to Constantinople” is the memoir of a Latin emissary’s reluctant visit to the heart of the Byzantine Empire. An impatient and irascible man, Liutprand spends most of his time recounting the injustices and insults he suffers in the court of the Byzantine Emperor. Not surprisingly, he also hated Byzantine cuisine, and found his pillows to be of an insufficient thread-count.

Aesop’s Fables
Socrates
As mentioned in Plato’s “Phaedo” dialogue, the Greek philosopher Socrates had a deep fondness for the ancient fables of Aesop, and spent much of the end of his life, during the course of his final imprisonment, turning these classic tales into verse. Displaying a rare talent ecstatic meter and vivid imagery, Socrates also had the curious habit – noted by contemporaries with much befuddlement – of setting his versions of the fables tens of thousand of years in the past, for earlier than any other version before or since.

On Nature
Empedocles
A major poetic work by the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Empedocles, previously thought lost. Empedocles was one of the first to articulate a vague – if somewhat bizarre – version of the theory of evolution, which described a prehistoric world filled with autonomous body parts – free roaming eyes, hands, feet, organs, etc. Over time, he argued, these parts gradually joined together in symbolic union to create all the natural diversity we observe today.

Altaïr explaining Empedocles' philosophy


!!! There's one hidden easter egg !!!
The third book from this section, "On Nature" reffers Altaïr to Maria in PSP exclusive videogame "Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines". He describes this book almost equally as it is described in the game (AC:R). Have a look and find some walktrough on YouTube. ;-)

II. Bookshelves – books bought from the bookshops over Constantinople

Parallel Lives
Plutarch
Plutarch’s famous examination of human character and virtue is a collection of biographies of famous men (only men, sadly) arranged in parallel groups: each Greek biography is paired with a more contemporary Roman equivalent. Less a historical treatment of its subjects, “Parallel Lives” is an investigation of the influence of character on human destiny.

The Odyssey
Homer
A 9th century BCE poem, passed on initially through the oral tradition, that recounts the adventures of king Odysseus as he attempts to return home from a decade of war. Sadly, tings do not pan out well for the king, and he spends another decade battling Gods, Giants, Sirens, and Cyclopses, all the while wondering if his wife hasn’t sold the house and moved back in with her parents.

Mu’allaqat
Hammad Ar-Rawiya
The “Mu’allaqat”, or “Suspended Odes”, is a revered collection of Pre-Islamic Arabic poems written sometime in the middle of the first millennium of the Common Era. Comprised of the work of seven exemplary poets, the scholar Hammad Ar-Rawiya compiled the “Mu’allaqat” many centuries after the poems were composed.

Hagia Sophia in real life
(Mr. Obvious here)
Assassin's Creed players know that feeling: "I was there." :-)
- source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/

Aeneid
Virgil
Virgil’s epic Latin tale tells the story of the wanderer Aneaus, whose travels take him from the shores of war-torn Troy to the troubled coasts of Italy while the spurned Godess Juno bedevils him every step of the way. Written in a time of great turmoil amid the Roman Empire, “The Aneid” served to strengthen the hearts and harden the resolve of a nation in transition.

Geography
Ptolemy
As the first systemic treatment of the principles of map-making, Ptolemy’s “Geography” was one of the most influential books in the West. For more than a millennium, after its composition in the second century CE, cartographers throughout Europe and Western Asia consulted Ptolemy’s book of guidance, data, and inspiration.

The Book of Prophecies
Christopher Columbus
Written near the end of the famous Genoese Admiral’s life, the “Book of Prophecies” is a curious blend of self-aggrandizement, eschatology, and apocalyptic fear-mongering; the sad, strange legacy of a chronically frustrated explorer who just wanted to hang out with Jesus before the end of his life.

The History of the Kings of Britain
Geoffrey of Monmouth
A lively piece of pseudo-historical claptrap, the “History of the Kings of Britain” was credited as true history by far too many scholars until well into the sixteenth century CE. Written four hundred years earlier, Geoffrey of Monmouth claims to have copied the most of his data from an earlier source, but most modern scholars believe this to be a steaming pile of nonsense.

Anabasis Alexandri
Arrian
One of the only complete accounts of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great, “The Campaigns o Alexander” is actually a compilation made up of earlier sources, all of them now lost to the dustbin of history.

Opus Majus
Roger Bacon
An exemplary specimen of overachievement, this massive book contains treatises on natural science, mathematics, grammar, physics, optics, and philosophy, to name a few. Written for Pope Clement IV as a summary of Bacon’s achievements, the “Opus Majus” was evidently not terse enough for his Holiness, and was followed by Bacon’s shorter “Opus Minus” just year after. Whether or not this was later followed by the “Opus Pamphlet” has not been confirmed.

Heimskringla
Snorri Sturluson
A thirteenth-century Old Norse saga composed by Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson. Though told with a richness and energy that gives its tales a level of realism unusual for the time, most scholars believe that the most of the “Heimskringla” is built on a foundation of well-intended but ultimately invented speculation.

The Secret History of the Mongols
unknown
Written by an unknown author, or authors, “The Secret History of the Mongols” is the oldest recorded example of the Mongolian language. Though largely about the reign of Genghis Kahn, the book was written some time after the famous conqueror’s death.

Record of the Grand Historian
Sima Qian
A sweeping work of incredible scope, Sima Qian’s book covers more than two and the half thousand years of ancient Chinese history, beginning with the reign of the Yellow Emperor in 2696 BCE and concluding in the author’s own time in 87 BCE. Praised for his more objective approach to historiography, in which “winners” and “losers” were appraised with equal care, Sima Qian’s aim was to rise above more biography and look for patterns and trends in the development of human culture.

The Golden Ass
Apuleius
The only work of dramatic fiction written in Latin to survive intact, “The Golden Ass” – as St. Augustine named Apuleius’s tale – tells the story of a man who dabbles carelessly with magic and accidentally turns himself into a donkey. Written in what would later become known as a “picaresque” style, “The Golden Ass” has a wandering, episodic structure, a precursor to later classics like “Don Quixote” and “Tristram Shandy”.

Metamorphoses
Ovid
A classic piece of Latin narrative verse written sometime arround 8 CE, “Metamorphoses” is an indispensable collection of fables based on Greek sources. One of the most widely read books of the Middle Ages, Ovid’s masterpiece remains one of the major models for most of our modern conceptions of ancient Western mythology.

III. Books from the Books Quests (in the middle bookshelf) hidden in Constantinople by Maffeo and Niccolo Polo brothers

The Travels of Marco Polo
Marco Polo
One of the most famous and widely read tracts of the 14th century, this travelogue paints a vivid and detailed portrait of explorer Marco Polo’s twenty-year journey through the Orient. Brimming with tall tales and fantastical descriptions, its veracity remains a source of much controversy.

One Thousand and One Nights
unknown
A beloved collection of Persian and Middle Eastern tales more than one thousand years old, all framed by the story of an impatient Sovereign listening to his clever wife begin one story after another, but never listening any of them, with the hope of slaving off her impending execution.

The Book of Kings
Ferdowsi
A massive sixty-thousand verse work of Persian poetry that weaves history and myth together to tell the history of the world, from the beginning of time up to the seventh century BCE. Written over the course of 30 years in the late tenth century, it is a monumental work of incredible historical and artistic merit.

Scheherazade and Shahryār by Ferdinand Keller, 1880

- source: Wikipedia (to who every student is in a great debt :-) )

Nibelungenlied
unknown
A tragic tale of lost love, revenge, and slain dragons, written sometime in the twelfth century, but based primarily on Germanic, pre-Christian sources. Nobody knows who wrote the “Nibelungenlied”, but most scholars agree that he probably wore a long beard and walked with a glowing staff.

Iliad
Homer
The “Iliad” is one of the most famous examples of poetry passed on in the oral tradition – that is, not written down but passed on from speaker to speaker through recitation alone. Recounting the final weeks of ancient Troy’s ten year struggle against the besieging Greeks, that Iliad was first committed to the page many centuries after its composition in the 9th century BC.

The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
A delightful collection of 14th century stories detailing the lives and concerns of a group of Christian pilgrims making their way to Canterbury Cathedral. Written in the Middle English, Chaucer’s colorful portraits are at times witty, tragic, bawdy, and beautiful.

The Flute Girl
Menander
This obscure Greek drama from the fourth century BCE, thought lost for over a millennium, contains one of the earliest descriptions of ancient Byzantium, referring to the city as a rowdy port full of drunks and crooks. Whether this was surprising to audiences at the time is unknown, but that this was worth mentioning seems significant of something. Jealousy, perhaps.

IV. Bookshelves – books bought from the bookshop in Cappadocia

Digenes Akritas
unknown
Set amid the backdrop of a centuries’ old conflict between Byzantines and Arabs, the “Digenes Akritas” (author unknown) tells the epic tale of Basil, a hero born of mixed parentage – one Byzantine, the other Syrian – and his incredible feats of strength and bravery. A warrior through and through, Basil kills bears and lions with his hands, slays dragons with little more than a look, and carries of the daughters of military commanders on a whim. In other words, a well rounded chap.

Ezio went shopping books to Cappadocia, 1511, colorized (he has some issues on the way).


Cronica
Ramon Muntaner
A soldier for much of his life, Catalan mercenary Ramon Muntaner wrote his “Cronica” to memorialize his time as a soldier fighting alongside Byzantine Greeks while protecting Constantinopole against besieging Turkish armies.

Tirant Io Blanch
Joanot Martorell
Tirant Lo Blanch, or “Tirant the White”, is a Valencian romance novel full of sensuous vitality, chivalrous daring, and good humour. It is best known as having been a major influence on Miguel de Cervantes during his writing of “Don Quixote”.

Bibliotheca
Photius
A precursor to the modern blog, the “Bibliotheca” by Photius was a collection of almost 300 books reviews, written for no other purpose than the author’s personal amusement. Some of the reviews are comprehensive, spanning several pages, while others are no longer than a sentence, perhaps an indication that Photius had also anticipated the day when 140-character witticisms would be the standard method of communicating important ideas.

Secret dialogue with ♥ Sophia Sartor

After purchasing and finging all available books, Ezio returned to the Galata headquarters and was surprised to receive a visit from Sofia Sartor.

My own YouTube video:

Dialogue (from Assassin's Creed Wikia - many thanks):
. Sofia: Hello!
. Ezio: Eh?
. Sofia: Ezio, you old snake! You walked right past me.
. Ezio: Forgive me, Sofia I did not notice. What are You doing in Galata?
. Sofia: Making some deliveries. Is this where you stay?
. Ezio: Ah, sí. It is a kind of… school.
. Sofia: What is taught here?
. Ezio: Come this way. I want to show you something.
…
. Ezio: I have been stocking the library here with rare books. A good start, no?
. Sofia: Ah! These are all so beautifil. And such a diversity. So, are these men and women your students?
. Ezio: In a way, yes.
. Sofia: Well, if they ever need a literature cholar, give them my name. In a pinch, I am a pretty good teacher.
. Ezio: If they find the time to read, I certainly will.
. Sofia: Oh! Chaucer! Bellisimo.

!!!

“Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine'."
“لا شيئا وقيان مطلق بل كولون ممكنا
"Nothing is true, everything..." you know. ;-)

Ezio having a good time !


P.S. Enjoy that game! It has a very valuable content (even the game mechanics are sometimes "weird"). And do not forget to read a lot.

[BEEF TURBO]

i recommend skyrim for you

[твентісікз]

awesome guide

[darkloveangle196]

mã CD của game la gi vậy

[R'lyeh Riley]

I stumbled on this guide while I was reinstalling the game and thinking about how much I enjoyed this game. Thanks for the good read and the fun easter eggs and that hidden scene. I've been replaying the older AC games and noticed that there were things that I missed despite playing through these games 3+ times.

I just finished Brotherhood last night and I'm, very slowly, making my way through the games and trying to do all the side objectives that I can.