Ancient Sagas and epics
Hodder & Stoughton Shogun
Book SynopsisJames Clavell's most famous and best-loved novel repackaged for a new generationTrade ReviewMy bet for the most satisfyingly popular novel of the year . . . It has power, it has violence, subtlety and lots, lots more . . . Clavell never puts a foot wrong . . . Get it, read it, you'll enjoy it mightily * Daily Mirror *SHOGUN is a huge exotic, blood-stained canvas of sixteenth century but still medieval Japan, rival warlords and proselytising Jesuits, geishas, seppuku, samurai with the death-with and a shipwrecked Elizabethan * Guardian *SHOGUN is a huge exotic, blood-stained canvas of sixteenth century but still medieval Japan, rival warlords and proselytising Jesuits, geishas, seppuku, samurai with the death-with and a shipwrecked Elizabethan * Guardian *Unquestionably the best historical novel of its kind since Anthony Adverse * Los Angeles Times *I can't remember when a novel has seized my mind like this one. It's irresistable, maybe unforgettable. Clavell ... creates a world so enveloping you forget who and where you are * New York Times *Mr Clavell tells his story brilliantly * The Times *One of the great page turners of all time * Good Book Guide *One of the great page turners of all time * Good Book Guide *I can't remember when a novel has seized my mind like this one. It's irresistable, maybe unforgettable. Clavell ... creates a world so enveloping you forget who and where you are * New York Times *My bet for the most satisfyingly popular novel of the year . . . It has power, it has violence, subtlety and lots, lots more . . . Clavell never puts a foot wrong . . . Get it, read it, you'll enjoy it mightily * Daily Mirror *Mr Clavell tells his story brilliantly * The Times *
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Britain AD
Book SynopsisLeading archaeologist Francis Pryor retells the story of King Arthur, legendary king of the Britons, tracing it back to its Bronze Age origins.The legend of King Arthur and Camelot is one of the most enduring in Britain''s history, spanning centuries and surviving invasions by Angles, Vikings and Normans. In his latest book Francis Pryor one of Britain's most celebrated archaeologists and author of the acclaimed Britain B.C.' and Seahenge' traces the story of Arthur back to its ancient origins. Putting forth the compelling idea that most of the key elements of the Arthurian legends are deeply rooted in Bronze and Iron Ages (the sword Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake, the Sword in the Stone and so on), Pryor argues that the legends'' survival mirrors a flourishing, indigenous culture that endured through the Roman occupation of Britain, and the subsequent invasions of the so-called Dark Ages.As in Britain B.C.', Pryor roots his story in the very landscape, from Arthur's Seat in EdinburTrade Review‘Controversial deceptively clever and a damn good read.’ BBC History Magazine Praise for ‘Britain B.C.’: ‘Francis Pryor has given us a remarkable, imaginative and persuasive account of those other Britons…its enthusiastic and confident approach deserves to be very influential.’ TLS ‘A compulsive narrative intertwining prehistory, the excitement of discovery and personalities. It bounds along, wonderfully enlivened by Pryor’s earthy enthusiasm.’ New Scientist Praise for ‘Seahenge’: ‘A magnificent book…a vivid story, superbly told. It gives a wonderfully clear explanation of how archaeology works, written in plain language which all can understand and enjoy.’ Magnus Magnusson
£11.69
Cambridge University Press Lucan de Bello Ciuili Book VII
Book SynopsisBook VII of Lucan''s De Bello Ciuili recounts the decisive victory of Julius Caesar over Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus on 9 August 48 BCE. Uniquely within Lucan''s epic, the entire book is devoted to one event, as the narrator struggles to convey the full horror and significance of Romans fighting against Romans and of the republican defeat. Book VII shows both De Bello Ciuili and its impassioned, partisan narrator at their idiosyncratic best. Lucan''s account of Pharsalus well illustrates his poem''s macabre aesthetic, his commitment to paradox and hyperbole, and his highly rhetorical presentation of events. This is the first English commentary on this important book for more than half a century. It provides extensive help with Lucan''s Latin, and seeks to orientate students and scholars to the most important issues, themes and aspects of this brilliant poem.Table of Contents1. Book VII; 2. Battle; 3. The gods and religion; 4. Stoicism and epicureanism; 5. Pompey and Caesar; 6. Sources, models, intertexts; 7. Viewing, seeing, spectatorship; 8. States of mind: madness, hope, fear, anger, joy; 9. Paradox and hyperbole; 10. Apostrophe; 11. Sententiae; 12. Diction, word order, metre; 13. Transmission and text; 14. Manuscripts cited; M. Annaei Lvcani De Bello Civili Liber Septivs; Commentary.
£27.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Nibelungenlied
Book SynopsisA story of guile, treachery, loyalty and desperate courageThis great German epic poem of murder and revenge recounts with particular strength and directness the progress of Siegfried''s love for the peerless Kriemhild, the wedding of Gunther - her brother - and Brunhild, the quarrel between the two queens, Hagen''s treacherous murder of Siegfried, and Kriemhild''s eventual triumph.Composed nearly eight hundred years ago by an unnamed poet, the Nibelungenlied is the principal literary expression of those heroic legends of which Richard Wagner made such free use in The Ring. A. T. Hatto''s translation transforms an old text into a story as readable and exciting as Homer''s Iliad.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Beowulf
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.Written by an anonymous poet between the 8th and 11th centuries, this Old English epic poem follows the story of Beowulf, courageous hero of the Geats in Scandinavia. The King of the Danes has found his hall and his people under attack by a monster known as Grendel, and Beowulf fearlessly offers to defend them. The fearsome warrior defeats Grendel with his bare hands, only to find that Grendel's mother is hot on his heels. Beowulf defeats this second ferocious monster with the skill of his sword, and returns to Geatland, victorious.Fifty years pass, during which Beowulf has become King of the Geats, and his bravery is once more called to task. This time, Beowulf must defeat a clever and vicious dragon, but now in the hopes of defending his own people and land, or risk losing everything.One of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature, Beowulf is the thrilling tale of the eponymous hero in
£5.68
Penguin Books Ltd Parzival
Book SynopsisComposed in the early thirteenth century, Wolfram von Eschenbach''s Parzival is the re-creation and completion of the story left unfinished by its initiator Chrétien de Troyes. It follows Parzival from his boyhood and career as a knight in the court of King Arthur to his ultimate achievement as King of the Temple of the Grail, which Wolfram describes as a life-giving Stone. As a knight serving the German nobility in the imperial Hohenstauffen period, the author was uniquely placed to describe the zest and colour of his hero''s world, with dazzling depictions of courtly luxury, jousting and adventure. Yet this is not simply a tale of chivalry, but an epic quest for spiritual education, as Parzival must conquer his ignorance and pride and learn humility before he can finally win the Holy Grail.Table of ContentsParzival - Wolfram von Eschenbach Translated by A. T. HattoForewordChapter 1Chapter 2Wolfram's ApologyChapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16An Introduction to a Second ReadingA Glossary of Personal NamesA List of Works in English for Further Reading
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Eclogues Lingua Edition Pentium Penguin
Book SynopsisWritten between 42 and 37 b.c., ten pastoral poems believed to be the first authentic work by Virgil are presented with the original Latin on the left-hand page and the translation on the right.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsThe EcloguesAcknowledgmentsIntroductionThe EcloguesNotesSelect Bibliography
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Mahabharata Penguin Classics
Book Synopsis A new selection from the national epic of India Originally composed in Sanskrit sometime between 400 BC and 400 AD, The Mahabharata-with one hundred thousand stanzas of verse-is one of the longest poems in existence. At the heart of the saga is a conflict between two branches of a royal family whose feud culminates in a titanic eighteen-day battle. Exploring such timeless subjects as dharma (duty), artha (purpose), and kama (pleasure) in a mythic world of warfare, magic, and beauty, this is a magnificent and legendary Hindu text of immense importance to the culture of the Indian subcontinent.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative textTable of ContentsThe MahabharataPrefacePronunciation of SanskritIntroductionThe Mahabharata1. Beginnings2. The Hall3. The Forest4. Virata5. Perseverance6. Bhisma7. Drona8. Karna9. Salya10. The Night-raid11. The Women12. Tranquillity13. Instruction14. The Horse Sacrifice15. The Hermitage16. The Clubs17. The Great Journey18. The Ascent to HeavenVariant Readings AdoptedKey to Names and GlossaryFurther ReadingMap: The India of the MahabharataGenealogical TablesIndex
£17.09
The University of Michigan Press Aeneas
Book SynopsisCreates an Aeneas for our time: an age of liquid modernity, when identities seem fungible and precarious, amid a moment of political conflict and collapsing institutions. This volume gives readers new translations and close readings of important passages, and it restores Aeneas to the centre of Rome's most important poem.Table of Contents Preface Chapter One: On Not Liking Aeneas Chapter Two: The First Three Words Chapter Three: The Choices of Aeneas Chapter Four: The Silences of Aeneas Chapter Five: The Tears of Aeneas Chapter Six: The Anger of Aeneas Epilogue: The Hero Vanishes Further Reading Works Cited Index of Passages Cited Index
£27.50
The University of Michigan Press Aeneas
Book SynopsisPresents an Aeneas for our time: an age of liquid modernity, when identities seem fungible and precarious, amid a moment of political conflict and collapsing institutions. This volume gives readers new translations and close readings of important passages, and it restores Aeneas to the centre of Rome's most important poem.Table of Contents Preface Chapter One: On Not Liking Aeneas Chapter Two: The First Three Words Chapter Three: The Choices of Aeneas Chapter Four: The Silences of Aeneas Chapter Five: The Tears of Aeneas Chapter Six: The Anger of Aeneas Epilogue: The Hero Vanishes Further Reading Works Cited Index of Passages Cited Index
£65.50
University of California Press The Song of Roland
£34.00
University of California Press The Song of Roland
£83.62
Penguin Putnam Inc Metamorphoses
Book SynopsisA bold, transformative new translation of Ovid''s classicOvid''s epic poem has, with its timeless stories, inspired and influenced generations of writers and artists, from Shakespeare and Chaucer to Picasso and Ted Hughes. The events it describes - the flight of Icarus, the music of Orpheus, Perseus'' rescue of Andromeda, the fall of Troy - speak toward the essence of human experience: of power, of fate and, most fundamentally, of transformation.Stephanie McCarter''s new rendering, the first female translation in over sixty years, places its emphasis on the sexual violence at the heart of the poem - nearly fifty of the epic''s tales involve the rape or attempted rape of women. While past translations have often obscured or mitigated this fact, expressing Ovid''s language in consensual terms, McCarter considers it explicitly, and so offers a powerful new exploration of this essential work.Trade Review“The true brilliance, that is, the true reading, the accessibility, of McCarter’s tapestry lies in her use of poetic form.(…) Throughout, McCarter produces gorgeous basso continuo undertones juxtaposed against sharp and high-pitched rhymes. Such formal elements of the translation ultimately represent McCarter’s interpretation of Metamorphoses and the art of translation itself—that humble human craft that has the capacity to stand against and despite the will of gods, power, and time. McCarter has produced her own masterpiece that ‘Jove’s wrath cannot / destroy, nor flame, nor steel, nor gnawing time.’ ‘My name,’ she writes, ‘can’t be erased.’” —Anna Deeny Morales, 2023 American Poets Prize citation for The Academy of American Poets“The best translation of a work of ancient literature that I read this year was Stephanie McCarter's marvellous new translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, in fresh, readable, vivid iambic pentameter. McCarter captures Ovid's wit and cleverness, making us laugh at the escapades of abusive, lust-crazed, arrogant gods and hapless, also lust-crazed and arrogant mortals. But she also brilliantly evokes Ovid's more serious sides, including his attentiveness to power and the magical vivacity of the natural world. Her wonderful handling of the metrical poetic form is a fitting match for Ovid's artful, fluent Latin verse.”—Emily Wilson, The New Statesman“McCarter confronts the tricky issues associated with both the poet and his epic not only in her forthright introduction but in the translation itself, where, like an art restorer removing decades of browned varnish from an Old Master, she strips away a number of inaccuracies and embellishments that have accreted in translations over the decades and centuries, obscuring the sense of certain passages, particularly those portraying women and sexual violence… McCarter’s translation reproduces Ovid’s speed and clarity. Even better, she is alert to many of the sparkling verbal effects for which the poet was famous in his own time… If you didn’t know she was writing about the concerns of someone who died twenty centuries ago, you’d think her subject was still alive.”—Daniel Mendelsohn, The New Yorker“McCarter adroitly captures Ovid’s glittering darkness. There is horror here but there is also so much wonder and delight, all conveyed in nimble, fresh language.” —Kamila Shamsie, author of Home Fire“The Metamorphoses has it all: sex, death, love, violence, gods, mortals, monsters, nymphs, all the great forces, human and natural. With this vital new translation, Stephanie McCarter has not only updated Ovid's epic of transformation for the modern ear and era --- she's done something far more powerful. She's paid rigorous attention to the language of the original and brought to us its ferocity, its sensuality, its beauty, its wit, showing us how we are changed, by time, by violence, by love, by stories, and especially by power. Here is Ovid, in McCarter's masterful hands, refreshed, renewed, and pulsing with life.” —Nina MacLaughlin, author of Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung“Stephanie McCarter’s gorgeous verse translation of the Metamorphoses is ground-breaking not just in its refreshingly accessible approach to Ovid’s syntax and formal devices but for how she reframes the controversial subjects that have made Ovid, and Ovidian scholarship, so fraught for contemporary readers. McCarter’s translation understands that the Metamorphoses is a complex study of power and desire, and the dehumanizing ways that power asserts itself through and on a variety of bodies. McCarter’s deft, musical, and forthright translation returns much needed nuance to Ovid’s tropes of violence and change, demonstrating to a new generation of readers how our identities are always in flux, while reminding us all of the Metamorphoses’ enduring relevance.” —Paisley Rekdal, author of Nightingale"A graceful and fluid and deeply meaningful translation. Compared to the other translations of the Metamorphoses on which I’ve relied in the past, it’s as though this is of an entirely different book. The reader follows the lines with genuine emotion. And so do worlds open up—" —Alexander Nemerov, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Provostial Professor in the Arts and Humanities, Stanford University "Stephanie McCarter’s translation offers an attractive alternative to the finest versions to appear in recent decades, while the abundance of her introductory and explanatory material gives her work a clear advantage over those predecessors. As a vehicle for serious engagement with Ovid’s poem in English, McCarter has no rival." – Richard Tarrant, Harvard University, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
£27.20
Transworld Publishers Ltd God of Vengeance The Rise of Sigurd 1 A thrilling
Book SynopsisA glorious, bloody, perfect Viking saga of honour, courage, blood feud and revenge from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Games of Thrones.Unrelenting pace, brilliant action and characters. A masterwork. - CONN IGGULDENAction-packed storytelling which stirs the blood and thrills the soul - WILBUR SMITHEasily one of the best books I''ve had the pleasure to read - ***** Reader review.*******************************************************************************IT BEGAN WITH THE BETRAYAL OF A LORD BY A KING...Norway 785 AD. When King Gorm puts Jarl Harald''s family to the sword, he makes one fatal mistake - he fails to kill Harald''s youngest son, Sigurd.His kin slain, his village seized, his taken as slaves, Sigurd wonders if the gods have forsaken him. Hunted by powerful men, he is unsure who to trust and yet he has a small band of loyal followers at his side. With them - and with the help of the All-Father, Odin - he determines to make a king pay for his treachery.Using cunning and war-craft, Sigurd gathers together a fellowship of warriors - including his father''s right-hand man Olaf, Bram (who men call Bear), Black Floki who wields death with a blade, and the shield maiden Valgerd, who fears no man - and convinces them to follow him. For, whether Ódin is with him or not, Sigurd WILL have vengeance. And neither men nor gods had best stand in his way . . .Sigurd''s story continues in Winter''s Fire.Trade ReviewAction-packed storytelling which stirs the blood and thrills the soul * WILBUR SMITH *What elevates Kristian above the many pretenders to Cornwell's crown is the style and swagger of the prose. He is a modern skald, borrowing the old rhythms to create a brutal, absorbing tale -- Antonia Senior * THE TIMES 'Books of the Year' *Unrelenting pace, brilliant action and characters. A masterwork. * CONN IGGULDEN *A glorious, bloody, perfect Viking saga, rich with the poetry of the skald, ripe with blood and glory, vengeance and heartbreak. The characters stride from the page, alive, hungry, real . . . this is Viking writing at its very best * MANDA SCOTT *This is the best kind of storytelling – a saga full of blood and thunder that grabs you and doesn’t let go until long after the final page is turned * STEVEN PRESSFIELD *A pulse-pounding tale of blood, betrayal and honour. Hereward and his spear-brothers would definitely feel at home here * JAMES WILDE *A great success . . . His knowledge of the period, and imaginative immersion in it, mean that God of Vengeance conjures up Sigurd's bloody, violent world, with all its alien beliefs and strange customs, in vivid and compelling detail -- Nick Rennison * BBC HISTORY *Epic in character, atmosphere and deed . . . Kristian is a terrific storyteller . . . the writing and language are wonderfully rich, and you want to savour every bone-shattering, blood-curdling, sentence * TOBY CLEMENTS *A revenger's tale writ large . . . Kristian's latest Viking-era saga won't disappoint * DAILY MAIL *A pulsating saga delivered with the sweep and power of a Norse war axe -- TIM SEVERIN
£9.49
Faber & Faber Ramayana
Book SynopsisThe Ramayana is one of the great epics of the ancient world, with versions spanning the cultures, religions and languages of Asia. Its story of Rama''s quest to recover his wife Sita from her abduction by Raavana, the Lord of the Underworld, has enchanted readers and audiences across the Eastern world for thousands of years. Daljit Nagra was captivated by his grandparents'' Punjabi version as a child, and has chosen to rejuvenate the story for a new generation of multicultural, multi-faith readers. By drawing on scenes originating in versions such as those from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, as well as the better-known Indian Ramayanas, and by incorporating elements of Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and secular versions, Nagra creates a consciously multicultural Ramayana. This dazzling version is both accessible and engaging, written in Nagra''s typically vibrant and eclectic language, and bursting with energy, pathos and humour.
£11.69
Harvard University Press The Iliad and the Oral Epic Tradition
Book SynopsisThe Iliad reveals a traditional oral poetic style, but many believe that the poem cannot be treated as solely a product of oral tradition. In The Iliad and the Oral Epic Tradition, Karol Zielinski argues that neither Homer's unique artistry nor references to events known from other songs necessarily indicate the use of writing in its composition.
£28.86
The History Press Ltd The Mighty Goddess
Book SynopsisThe Goddess in all her glory! A celebration of important and powerful goddess mythologies from around the world.
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Virgil Aeneid II A Selection
Book SynopsisThis is the OCR-endorsed edition covering the Latin AS and A-Level (Group 3) prescription of Virgil''s Aeneid Book 2, lines 40249 and the A-Level (Group 4) prescription of Book 2, lines 268317, 370558, giving full Latin text, commentary and vocabulary, with a detailed introduction that also covers the prescribed material to be read in English for A Level. Book II of Virgil's Aeneid is the story of how Troy fell and how Aeneas escaped with his family and his city's gods. It is a narrative relayed in retrospect by Aeneas as a refugee at the court of Queen Dido in Carthage, and the OCR selection covers the book's first two thirds: the Wooden Horse episode, and the chaos which ensues including the dramatic murder of King Priam. Virgil depicts war in all its ugly complexity, and Aeneas' response to this as combatant in Troy, as exile in Carthage is central to the poem's early exposition.Supporting resources are available on the Companion Website: https://www.bloomsbury.pub/Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Text Commentary Notes Vocabulary
£16.14
Graphic Arts Books The Kumulipo
Book SynopsisThe Kumulipo (1897) is a traditional chant translated by Lili‘uokalani. Published in 1897, the translation was written in the aftermath of Lili‘uokalani’s attempt to appeal on behalf of her people to President Grover Cleveland, a personal friend. Although she inspired Cleveland to demand her reinstatement, the United States Congress published the Morgan Report in 1894, which denied U.S. involvement in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The Kumulipo, written during the Queen’s imprisonment in Iolani Palace, is a genealogical and historical epic that describes the creation of the cosmos and the emergence of humans, plants, and animals from “the slime which established the earth.” “At the time that turned the heat of the earth, / At the time when the heavens turned and changed, / At the time when the light of the sun was subdued / To cause light to break forth, / At the time of the night of Makalii (winter) / Then began the slime which established the earth, / The source of deepest darkness.” Traditionally recited during the makahiki season to celebrate the god Lono, the chant was passed down through Hawaiian oral tradition and contains the history of their people and the emergence of life from chaos. A testament to Lili‘uokalani’s intellect and skill as a poet and songwriter, her translation of The Kumulipo is also an artifact of colonization, produced while the Queen was living in captivity in her own palace. Although her attempt to advocate for Hawaiian sovereignty and the restoration of the monarchy was unsuccessful, Lili‘uokalani, Hawaii’s first and only queen, has been recognized as a beloved monarch who never stopped fighting for the rights of her people. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Lili‘uokalani’s The Kumulipo is a classic of Hawaiian literature reimagined for modern readers.
£6.37
Arc Humanities Press The Nordic Beowulf
Book Synopsis
£111.06
The History Press Ltd Danish Folk Tales
Book SynopsisA collection of tales that grew out of the sprawling flatlands, the oozing fjords, the dark forests and the waves that crash on the shores of Denmark.How a Viking ship carried a future king into Roskilde Fjord, how a mermaid’s laughter brought fortunes to her fisherman host, how the people of Lolland survived a flood with waves 3m high and how a princess found her freedom in becoming a prince.Experience the history, landscapes, stories and fairy tales brought to life by a storyteller who called this country home for nearly sixty years.Trade ReviewFeatured in the Winter issue of Simply Scandi magazine * Simply Scandi magazine *
£13.49
Zaffre The Royal Station Master's Daughters: 'A
Book SynopsisA heartwarming and dramatic World War I saga of secrets, love and the British royal family for readers of Daisy Styles and Maisie Thomas. 'A heartwarming historical novel' Rosie Goodwin'A gripping historical saga' Daisy StylesRoll out the red carpet. The royal train is due in half an hour and there's not a minute to be wasted.It's 1915 and the country is at war. In the small Norfolk village of Wolferton, uncertainty plagues the daily lives of sisters Ada, Jessie and Beatrice Saward, as their men are dispatched to the frontlines of Gallipoli.Harry, their father, is the station master at the local stop for the royal Sandringham Estate. With members of the royal family and their aristocratic guests passing through the station on their way to the palace, the Sawards' unique position gives them unrivalled access to the monarchy.But when the Sawards' estranged and impoverished cousin Maria shows up out of the blue, everything the sisters thought they knew about their family is thrown into doubt.The Royal Station Master's Daughters is the first book in a brand-new World War I saga series, inspired by the Saward family, who ran the station at Wolferton in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Through this history-making family we get a glimpse into all walks of life - from glittering royalty to the humblest of servants.Don't miss the second book in the series, The Royal Station Master's Daughters at War, coming in 2022. Pre-order now. 'Anyone who reads romantic fiction in a historical setting should love [The Royal Station Master's Daughters] but for anyone who knows Sandringham it really does evoke something of the place and life on the estate' Neil Storey, WWI historianTrade ReviewA heartwarming historical novel * Rosie Goodwin *A gripping historical saga * Daisy Styles * Anyone who reads romantic fiction in a historical setting should love [The Royal Station Master's Daughters] but for anyone who knows Sandringham it really does evoke something of the place and life on the estate. * Neil Storey, WWI historian *Ellee has brought [these characters] to life * Lynn News *
£8.54
Flame Tree Publishing Ramayana: Classic Tales
Book SynopsisThe Ramayana tells the tale of Rama and his beloved Sita, but its narratives and intent, as with all great literature, point to the grand themes of life, death and righteousness. Originally written in ancient Sanskrit, the elegant, epic work is a key part of the canon of both Hinduism and Buddhism. It continues to inspire art, theatre, poetry and temple architecture, dominating the spiritual landscape of the vast Indian sub-continent and the diaspora throughout the rest of the world. This deluxe new edition revives Ralph T. H. Griffith's evocative verse translation and abridges it for the modern reader – bringing the gripping narrative to the forefront. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.
£16.00
Anthem Press The Sicilian Puppet Theater of Agrippino Manteo
Book SynopsisSicilian puppet theater was the predominant form of cultural expression for working-class southern Italians and Sicilians from the early 1800s until the proliferation of television in the 1950s. This form of dramatic prose theater also flourished in diasporic Italian urban communities, bringing immigrants together for nightly performances of the same deeply cherished chivalric stories. Agrippino Manteo’s scripts, examined for the first time in this study, are testimony to the rich substance of the Paladins of France narratives dramatized on the traditional opera dei pupi stage. Even beyond their historical and aesthetic value, the alternating episodes of love, enchantment, adventure, and warfare invite us to relive the passion, heartbreak, excitement, and magic of knights and damsels from around the globe – from Europe to North Africa to East Asia – who share the stage with a host of wizards, fairies, giants, and monsters. This study reconstructs the history of the Manteo family marionette theater in New York City across seven decades and three generations, provides translations of eight selected plays and 270 extant summaries, and offers comparative analyses uncovering the creative process of adaptation from Italian Renaissance masterpieces of chivalric poetry to nineteenth-century prose compilations to Agrippino Manteo’s opera dei pupi dramatizations.Trade Review“By supplying a human and artistic portrait on the basis of a meticulous examination of sources and documents, Jo Ann Cavallo restores to Agrippino Manteo the rightful place that he must occupy in the reconstruction of the history of this theatrical tradition.”—Professor Alessandro Napoli,Marionettistica dei Fratelli Napoli and Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum, Italy."Based on an extraordinarily large number of first-hand sources, this book is both the careful study of a decisive piece in the history of Puppet Theatre and the tale of a fascinating journey from Sicily to Argentina and finally to New York, of a family saga that is at the same time the story of the persistence of a great artistic passion."—Professor Anna Carocci, Roma Tre University, Italy."We are fortunate indeed that the Manteo family has preserved written scripts of Italian puppet theater in America and that Jo Ann Cavallo is able to provide a context in the history of literature for what was performed daily for the Italian community on the streets of New York in the 1920s and 1930s."—Professor Charles Ross, Purdue University, USA."This book represents important documentation and analysis of the evolution of texts and dramatic prose as well as the way that individuals contribute to a continual evolution of what might be considered fixed texts. Anyone who wants to look linguistically or anthropologically into Sicilian puppet theatre will find this as close to a primary source as they can get without combing through all the items that Cavallo has meticulously done."—Professor Felice Amato, Boston University College of Fine Arts, USA."Jo Ann Cavallo’s book brings new insights to those who care about Sicilian theatrical history but also to social historians and general readers who want to understand how Agrippino Manteo captivated the attention of his audiences. This is the only translation into English of a set of scripts of Sicilian puppet episodes. Hence, it will serve as a key reference work now and in the future." — Professor Paula Richman, Oberlin College, USA.The work is both scholarly and creative. Not only has Cavallo reassembled three generations of the Manteo family and highlighted their sustained efforts, her study also provides translations of eight dramatic plays plus commentary and comparative analysis. Reading through the remarkably rich episodes was not only a learning experience for me but also a mesmerizing and enlightening one. —Sicilia Parra Through the in-depth case-study of a family’s New York City puppet theatre, Jo Ann Cavallo offers a meticulously researched and comprehensively crafted description of the Sicilian pupi tradition. In addition to a scholarly investigation of the literary form itself, this book preserves the tangible and intangible history of the Manteo family. With this book, Cavallo provides the intangible counterpart. Her interpretations fill in the gaps and illuminate processes, relationships, and performances and convey how culture evolves—Puppetry InternationalWith this volume, Jo Ann Cavallo offers us a rare gift: the in-depth analysis of a topic that is both rooted in literary sources and the expression of popular culture; of a regional performance tradition that spread through and thanks to the Italian diaspora; and of a neglected subject that deserves sustained attention and additional research. […] The very title of her book pushes us to look beyond national boundaries, as “France” and “America” follow “Sicilian” (and “Italian” does not appear anywhere). It is in this complexity that lies the richness that Cavallo brings to the surface. – Italian CultureTable of ContentsList of figures; Acknowledgments; Foreword by Alessandro Napoli; Preface; Introduction; Part One The Sicilian Puppet Theater of Agrippino Manteo and Family; Part Two Select Plays from the Paladins of France Cycle; Conclusion; Appendix 1: Marionettes owned by the Manteo family in the 1980s; Appendix 2: Manteo marionettes donated to the Italian American Museum in 2010; Appendix 3: Extant publications from the library of Agrippino Manteo; Appendix 4: Paladins of France scripts in the handwriting of Agrippino Manteo; Appendix 5: Agrippino Manteo’s summaries of plays in the Paladins of France cycle; Appendix 6: Select Characters from the Paladins of France Cycle; Appendix 7: Manteo family genealogy; Works Cited; Index
£72.00
University of Exeter Press Crestien’s Guillaume d’Angleterre / William of
Book SynopsisAn edition with facing annotated translation of the twelfth-century Medieval French popular romance Guillaume d’Angleterre. The claim to fame of this verse narrative is to have had its authorship attributed (falsely) to Chrétien de Troyes, the most famous of all twelfth-century Medieval French narrative poets. This prototypical adventure romance and is representative of a literary genre that has recently seen a renewal of interest among medieval literary critics. An amusing tale of late twelfth-century social mobility, the romance tells of a bewildering series of adventures that befall a fictitious king who deliberately abandons his royal status to enter the ‘real’ world of knights, wolves, pirates and merchants. He and his family, dispersed by events between Bristol, Galway and Caithness, are finally reunited at Yarmouth thanks to a climactic stag hunt. The book is designed for students of French, Medieval Studies, Comparative Literature and English, and for all medieval scholars interested in having an English version of a typical medieval adventure romance. It is the first authoritative English translation of this text, and all of its critical material is new. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47788/TXVU9029Trade ReviewAs a modern-language version of a lesser-known medieval work, Prof. Short’s edition and translation not only contribute to deepening our appreciation of the text and its tradition but also act as a reminder that hybrid, not easily classifiable texts falling outside of formed canons are undeniably worthy of scholarly attention. -- Maria Slautina, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval StudiesIn sum, this edition and translation is a notable achievement that adds much to our knowledge and should certainly replace all previous books on William of England. -- Judith Weiss, Nottingham Medieval StudiesTable of ContentsIntroduction Conspectus of principal narrative episodes Guillaume d’Angleterre ◊ William of England Corrections to the manuscript text Bibliography Index of persons and places
£71.25
Peter Lang AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften Cervantes en los siglos XX y XXI: La recepción
Book SynopsisCuatrocientos años después de su publicación, el Quijote cervantino sigue ejerciendo en el mundo entero una peculiar fascinación que se refleja en las más diversas expresiones artísticas. El presente volumen pretende contribuir a los estudios de recepción de la obra de Miguel de Cervantes desde un enfoque multidisciplinar e internacional, analizando la presencia de su obra y, en especial, de Don Quijote de la Mancha, durante los siglos XX y XXI. Los trabajos aquí editados se refieren a la figura de Don Quijote como mito literario, recogiendo textos de autores de diferentes países que estudian la impronta del autor manchego en ámbitos y géneros tan diversos como la literatura (novela de ficción y novela histórica, teatro, literatura infantil, novela gráfica y cómic), la música (jazz, ópera, cantata escénica, música incidental), los medios audiovisuales (cine, televisión, publicidad), la filosofía y la historia, centrando el foco de atención en la cultura occidental, pero sin olvidar la presencia de Cervantes en otras culturas, como la oriental o la árabe. A modo de anexo se publica, además, un texto inédito que hasta ahora era solo accesible en lengua árabe: el prólogo a la traducción a dicha lengua del Quijote, publicado aquí por vez primera en castellano.Table of ContentsPaloma Ortiz-de-Urbina: Introducción – Jean Canavaggio: Algunas aventuras de Don Quijote en Francia en el siglo XX – Esther Bautista Naranjo: Cervantes and Bradbury: Bibliocausts and Libresque Utopias in Times of Crisis – Lorena Silos Ribas: Una lanza por la libertad: el Quijote de Max Frisch – Tilman Klinge: Erich Kästner: Don Quichotte – eine Nacherzählung für Kinder? – María del Carmen Alonso Ímaz: Cervantes, de Bruno Frank: algunos mitos en su visión de la España de Felipe II – Pilar Úcar Ventura: 'El caballero del verde gabán' y cómo leer el Quijote en el siglo XXI – Matías Martínez: Don Quijote als Literaturcomic – Reduktion oder Transformation narrativer Komplexität? Die Quijote-Comics von Will Eisner, Rob Davis und Flix – Ingrid Cáceres Würsig: El Quijote en un cómic alemán: trasposición y actualización de la narrativa cervantina – Hans Christian Hagedorn: Sancho Panza en el jazz – Trevor Walshaw: Roberto Gerhard: the Knight of the Hidden Images – Gabriela Lendle: Die musikalische Rezeption des Pastoral-Topos und der Mythos des spanischen ‚pueblo’ in Roberto Gerhards Don Quixote – Jesús Ferrer Cayón: Un ingenioso hidalgo en América (2005): la recepción del mito cervantino en la cantata escénica de Samuel Máynez y Luis Bacalov – Carlos Alvar: Tradición e innovación: el Quijote en el cine – Heidi Grünewald: Die Präsenz des Mythos »Quijote« im Film Don Quichotte von Georg Wilhelm Pabst – Carmen María López López: Puesto ya el pie en el estribo: Notas sobre los mundos posibles cervantinos en El ministerio del tiempo – Delio de Martino: Mitos y leyendas de Cervantes en la publicidad – Magda Polo Pujadas: Don Quixote de Richard Strauss. Música y filosofía entre Apolo y Dionisio – Daniel Migueláñez Munilla: Don Quijote y el mito de la españolidad – José Antonio Guillén Berrendero: El honor, la nobleza y el Quijote en el siglo XX: Alfonso García Valdecasas y la recepción de los valores nobiliarios – Inmaculada Donaire del Yerro: "Psicología del Quijote y el quijotismo", de Santiago Ramón y Cajal: la respuesta de un intelectual ante la decadencia de España – Miguel Salmerón Infante: Cervantes y el dolor por el mito ausente – Carmen Valero-Garcés / Swangwan Traicharoenwiwat: Del mito del Quijote en Oriente y su traducción al tailandés – Emilio Sola: Cervantes y Argel
£83.48
Peter Lang AG The Metamorphoses of Ancient Myths
Book SynopsisThis book gives a comprehensive overview of the phenomenon of artistic dialogue with ancient myths. The contributions assume a double-track research approach. The contributors investigate the procedure of myths' recycling within Greco-Roman antiquity, and they consider modern re-occupations of myths in dramatic literature and theatre. Providing various examples of myths' reception from antiquity to present days, this book confirms the persistent human need of re-mythization.Table of ContentsMyth – Scholia – Greek tragedy – Byzantine epigram – Pliny the Elder – Cicero – Seneca – Seferis' existential poetry – Goll's postdramatic theatre – Müller – Irish drama – Mouawad's play – Jelinek – refugees' crisis – Staging death – Decorum – Polish theatre – German theatre – Terzopoulos' theatre
£46.48
Schwabe Verlagsgruppe Fragmenta Saturnia Heroica
Book Synopsis
£91.20
V&R unipress GmbH Wahrnehmung, Täuschung, Zweifel: Eine
Book Synopsis
£43.19
Dr Ludwig Reichert Fiktionalitat Im Artusroman Des 13. Bis 15.
Book Synopsis
£64.60
