The Waste Land chronicles the adventures of Hugh de Verdon, monk turned knight, during the extraordinary events of the First Crusade.He journeys from the great Benedictine monastery of Cluny to Constantinople, Antioch and Jerusalem. He encounters the Assassins, endures a personal epiphany and discovers the 'truth' behind the Holy Grail.

Hugh de Verdon's tale is retold by a group of desperate Oxford professors, based on his autobiographical manuscript, discovered in their college library. Their humorous - and murderous - story also provides a commentary on the eleventh century events and shows that they are perhaps not all they seem

Simon Acland spent over twenty years as a venture capitalist. When his company was sold in 2007 he took the opportunity to turn to writing.His interest in the myths and legends surrounding the Holy Grail stems from studying twelfth and thirteenth century French grail romances at Oxford University.

He has also written a non-fiction book about venture capital entitled 'Angels, Dragons and Vultures - how to tame your investors and not lose your company'.