The Name of Hero by Richard Seltzer

An historical novel based on the life of Alexander Bulatovich, a Russian who was an explorer in Ethiopia, a cavalry officer during Russia's conquest of Manchuria in 1900, and later, as a monk at Mount Athos, led a group of "heretics" who challenged the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, asserting the divinity of the Name of God. (Originally published by Tarcher/Houghton Mifflin.) Set in early 20th century Manchuria, the Boxer Rebellion raging throughout the country, the Name of Hero involves readers in the strange career of Alexander Xavierevich Bulatovich of His Majesty's Life Guard Hussar Regiment. Plotted in the panoramic tradition of James Michener, this historical novel blends fact, fiction, and adventure. It tells of women and war, of turbulent events sparked off by religion and railroads, and the tension between facts and faith.