The book leads the reader through these vibrant stories, from the origins of the gods through to the homecomings of the Trojan heroes. All the familiar narratives are here, along with some less familiar characters and motifs. In addition to the tales, the book explains key issues arising from the narratives, and discusses the myths and their wider relevance. This long-overdue book crystallises three key areas of interest: the nature of the tales; the stories themselves; and how they have and might be interpreted. For the first time, it brings together aspects of Greek mythology only usually available in disparate forms namely children s books and academic works. There will be much here that is interesting, surprising, and strange as well as familiar. Experts and non-experts, adults, students and schoolchildren alike will gain entertainment and insight from this fascinating and important volume. As inhuman fire sweeps on in fury through the deep angles of a drywood mountain and sets ablaze the depth of the timber and the blustering wind lashes the flame along, so Achilleus swept everywhere with his spear like something more than a mortal harrying them as they died, and the black earth ran blood. Homer "Iliad" 20. 490-4 - On the surface the recent Hollywood blockbuster "Troy", directed by Wolfgang Petersen, tries to read the "Iliad" rightly, but makes a number of interesting modifications to the story, presumably in the interests of commercial success & In searching for a contemporary Achilles there are those who look towards the action heroes played by the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude van Damme. But Rambo does not die young, the Terminator does not weep, and the Universal Soldier does not eat with the father of his victims.