Ancient Sagas and epics

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 *

Read more less

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

Read more less

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.

Read more less

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.

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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.

Read more less

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.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Goddess in all her glory! A celebration of important and powerful goddess mythologies from around the world.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

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.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less