Eclipse of the Crescent Moon

The main historical events that are addressed are the bloodless occupation of Buda, the seat of the Hungarian kings, in 1541, and the 1552 Siege of Eger (now in Northern Hungary) by the Turks that forms the major topic of the novel.

The story also addresses some other historical topics like the impact of the Reformation, the discord between Hungarians and the Holy Roman Emperor, as well as many themes of general import like mercy, filial and marital love, friendship, trust and truthfulness.

Éva Cecey, Gergely's love and later wife, is fictional; her portrayal in the novel is based on Gárdonyi's "ideal woman".

Gergely's mother dies in a raid by the Turks, but the little boy is adopted as a foster son by the rich aristocrat Bálint Török, where he gets a good education.

Several years later, Gergely has to experience that Buda is captured by the Turks through deceit and his foster father Bálint Török is led away prisoner.

In a stroke of unparalleled ingenuity, Bornemissza devises primitive but lethal grenades and powder keg sized bombs to use against the attackers, as well as a water-mill wheel packed with gunpowder which he rolls into the Ottoman ranks.

The novel was adapted for film twice: English translation of the original Hungarian text as "The Stars of Eger" by T. László Palotás, 2022, ISBN 979-8829947033