History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)

Average customer rating:

The Best Compilation of Greek Myths & Legends
Good for a reference

The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
Apollodorus
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192839241

Book Description

The only work of its kind to survive from classical antiquity, the Library of Apollodorus is a unique guide to Greek mythology, from the origins of the universe to the Trojan War. Apollodorus' Library has been used as a source book by classicists from the time of its compilation in the 1st-2nd century BC to the present, influencing writers from antiquity to Robert Graves. It provides a complete history of Greek myth, telling the story of each of the great families of heroic mythology, and the various adventures associated with the main heroes and heroines, from Jason and Perseus to Heracles and Helen of Troy. As a primary source for Greek myth, as a reference work, and as an indication of how the Greeks themselves viewed their mythical traditions, the Library is indispensable to anyone who has an interest in classical mythology. Robin Hard's accessible and fluent translation is supplemented by comprehensive notes, a map and full genealogical tables. The introduction gives a detailed account of the Library's sources and situates it within the fascinating narrative traditions of Greek mythology.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Compilation of Greek Myths & Legends.......2001-08-04

Just like the playwrights, Ovid is great in his own sphere (get the Arthur Golding translation--"Shakespeare's Ovid"), but his Metamorphoses are an artistic presentation of a single poet, whereas Apollodorus (though he surely relies on the poets as well) gives the simplest and most demotic/standard versions of the stories. Ovid is Variations on a Theme, while Apollodorus is as close as we get to the theme itself.

Or rather, to the many themes, because his work covers so much more than is in any other work. Some of the more important parts included are: The Theogony (Creation of the Cosmos and Gods), "Rape" (=Abduction) of Persephone, War of Gods and Giants, Prometheus' Fire, the Calydonian Boar, Sisyphus, Jason and the Argonauts, Medea, Bellerophon, Perseus, Hercules (all the great stories) and his children, Europa, Minos, Cadmus, Oedipus and Aftermath, Atlanta and the Apples, Aesculapius and Chiron, Helen's Early Years, the Palladium, Peleus, the Kings of Athens, Theseus, Tantalus, Atreus/Thyestes and all that Mess, Helen and the Trojan War, Achilles and the Iliad, the Odyssey and the other Returns from Troy.

So it's well that this is called The Library, because Apollodorus compresses a huge amount of information into four short books. So rather than being some of the dullest of ancient writing, as one reviewer says, it both treats the greatest stories and does so with economy and swiftness. This is not only a valuable reference book (as is Robert Graves's Greek Myths), but the work I often recommend as the best presentation for anyone who wants a no-nonsense overview of the whole of Greek mythology (and nice because it's one of the ancient Greeks themselves retelling the stories).

Now, if you want a cheap copy, just get the Oxford one. But if you want really excellent notes, get the Loeb edition annotated by Sir James Frazer (author of The Golden Bough), which also has some excellent short essays by him on themes in the stories.

And if you've been studying Greek, get the Loeb one too, which is literal enough to work as a good "pony", though the Greek is quite easy Alexandrian and you won't have any problems with it: My own Greek is not nearly as good as I'd like it to be, but I could read the whole thing in a few days no problem. The only thing I couldn't do is put it down!

Good for a reference.......1998-08-24

The World's Classics sereies has presented a fine new translation of the Mythology Library of "Apollodorus" (a name of convenience for an author we know nothing about). Translator and editor Hard cleanly presents the writer's exhaustive compilation of Greek mythology, and through careful division and labelling of the sections, reveals some of the author's meticulous categorization. For hard-core mythology nuts, this is an indispensible reference: the Greek myths straight from a collector of antiquity, and our only glimpse at some important lost works. But a word of warning to the layman: Apollodorus is possible the most dull writer of the ancient world, and he make no attempts to create an entertaining or even readable work. It's all dry and dense -- nothing a translator can really do about that! If you're looking for a more entertaining ancient compliation of mythology, try Ovid's delightful METAMORPHOSES.

Hesiod's Theogony (Focus Classical Library)

Average customer rating:

Top-Quality Edition of Hesiod's classic: A Must-Have
Ian Myles Slater on An Excellent Package
A great piece of work!

Hesiod's Theogony (Focus Classical Library)
Hesiod , and Richard S. Caldwell
Manufacturer: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0941051005

Customer Reviews:

Top-Quality Edition of Hesiod's classic: A Must-Have.......2007-06-26

The Theogony is undoubtly a cornerstone in Classical Greek literature, and this work of Hesiod, unfortunately, does not have many great translations. However, Focus Classical Library has some of the best translations of classical works, most notably its editions of the Homeric Hymns, Metamorphoses, and Greek tragedians. Richard S. Caldwell, who also translated a prose version of the Aeneid for Focus Classical Library, has presented an unrivaled, strikingly original translation of the Theogony. The translation and explanatory notes are both top-notch quality materials.

Because of its accurate, highly original language, copious explanatory introductions and footnotes, and extremely helpful family trees, I highly recommend buying this edition of the Theogony. I prefer this edition a lot much more than Oxford World Classic's Theogony, which does not ave such an original or vivid translation, and does not also have as many explanatory notes, and Oxford does not have many explanatory notes which I feel are mandatory for modern Theogony Editions.

Inside this book, all the lines are numbered, and footnotes often take up more than half of the pages. Because of its highly original translation, original proper names and often literal translations of Greek expressions have to be explained through footnotes.

Also included is Appendix A, which contains Lines 1-201 of Hesiod's "Work and Days", describing Pandora and the five generations of giants before Modern Man. Appendix B consists of a portion of Apollodorus' Library of Greek Mythology, which is a late Hellenistic mini-Theogony. The index, though large and complete, is somwhat confusing to use.

Overall, I would highly recommend this edition of Hesiod's Theogony next to Richmond Latimore's verse translation of Hesiod's work. Edith Hamilton's mythology, Bulfinch's Mythology, and mythology dictionaries aren't enough for the serious - you NEED Hesiod's Theogony - straight from the source. Whether you are a student or professor studying/teaching Greek mythology or just a hardcore amateur mythology fan, you will NOT regret buying this book.

Ian Myles Slater on An Excellent Package.......2003-10-02

This is a review of the extensively annotated translation of "Hesiod's Theogony" by Richard S. Caldwell -- just in case, as sometimes happens, it appears with a different translation. For those who are not familiar with it already, this is an account, in Homeric verse, of how the organized universe arose, expressed through generations of gods, their struggles for supremacy, and the culminating triumph of Zeus, with the great Olympians and a multitude of nature-deities listed along the way. Told in noble hexameters, it is an extremely violent story, full of abusive parents, mutilations inflicted by rebellious offspring, divine cannibalism, and a whole succession of other behaviors the Greeks themselves considered repellent. The philosophers had real problems with this work -- one can understand why Plato wanted to ban poets from the ideal state.

As it happens, I own most (but not quite all) of the currently or recently available English translations: those by Apostolos N. Athanassakis, Norman O. Brown, Hugh G. Evelyn-White (bilingual edition, Loeb Classical Library), R.M. Frazer, Richmond Lattimore, Dorothea Wender (Penguin Classics), and M. L. West (Oxford World's Classics). Except for Brown, who also covers only the "Theogony," they all contain at least the other main Hesiodic poem, "Works and Days" as a companion piece. West is also the editor of a Greek text, with extensive commentary. In this crowded field, in which the renderings of Athanassakis and Lattimore are notable for the quality of their poetry, Caldwell stakes a claim to utility.

The introduction contains numerous tables, displaying the relationships of various sets of gods, nymphs, monsters, and others, His translation is set out in verse lines, with running numbers at intervals of five, which makes locating references extremely easy. (No headnotes identifying thirty or fifty-line blocks of material!) An essay on the "Psychology of the Succession Myth" (rather simplistically Freudian, but interesting) is followed by a translation of some the most important related material from "Works and Days," and (hurray) parallel passages from a late prose compendium of Greek mythology, the Bibliotheke of Apollodoros (better known as the "Library of Apollodorus"). He has a useful (if now slightly dated) discussion of the main Near Eastern parallels. (Brown also discusses the comparative and psychological aspects of the poem, from different perspectives; his psychological treatment seems to me subtler, and more closely related to the political reading he offers.) [To be fair, I should have mentioned when this review was originally posted that Caldwell is here offering a simplified form of the argument in his 1985 book "The Origin of the Gods: A Pscyhoanalytic Study of Greek Theogonic Myth."]

There is a very good index-glossary. Most useful of all, however, are the running annotations. They range from the most elementary (assuming no prior knowledge of Greek myth or literature) to impressively advanced (issues of structure, technique, and deeper meanings). Caldwell explains that he has drawn heavily on West's commentary, which is nice, because West himself incorporated many of his conclusions implicitly in his prose translation, without the arguments that accompanied his text editions.

Given Caldwell's attention to detail, if you are a novice in the field who doesn't plan to build up even a small collection, but is willing to read a single volume with close attention, this might be your best choice. Those who already know the subject are likely to find it attractive, although sorting through such basic reminders as "Zephyros is the west wind, Boreas the north wind" in search of interpretive insights can be a test of patience.

A great piece of work!.......2000-03-29

Hesiod's "Theogony" is excellently translated by Richard S. Caldwell. I have read other translations of Hesiod but preferred this one because it is done in verse as opposed to prose. The verse is not difficult to understand; the notes to the text are clear and good; the topic is made more interesting by way of the writing style. Overall, a very good piece of work.

Euripides Four Plays: Medea, Hippolytus, Heracles, Bacchae (Focus Classical Library)

Average customer rating:

Some significant cover damage, more than was described
student review

Euripides Four Plays: Medea, Hippolytus, Heracles, Bacchae (Focus Classical Library)
Stephen Esposito
Manufacturer: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 158510048X

Book Description

Euripides' most important plays in one volume. Translations are taken in full text from other single volumes in the Focus Classical Library, by authors Michael Halleran, Anthony Podlecki, and Stephen Esposito, with notes and a new introduction. As with all Focus Classical Library titles, this anthology has been designed with the student of ancient drama in mind, including modern translations close to the original, informed by the latest scholarship, and with an extensive introduction, interpretative essay, and footnotes- all to the purpose of allowing the student to understand Greek drama, Greek mythology, and the context of Greek culture.

Customer Reviews:

Some significant cover damage, more than was described.......2007-09-27

I bought the book as "like new" so I had some high expectations. while my pages were unmarked and in order, the cover was bent, warped, dogeared, with rippled tears. Poor quality, and misfiled as "like new"

student review.......2004-12-08

I found all 4 plays in this book easy to read & easy to get into...this book was awesome & has made me a fan of Euripides.

Average customer rating:

Excellent illustrated re-telling of the Heracles myth
A good rendering of the classic tale, but with a major flaw

Twelve Labors Of Hercules, The
James Riordan
Manufacturer: Millbrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0761303154

Customer Reviews:

Excellent illustrated re-telling of the Heracles myth.......2002-07-16

I needed a thorough and traditional re-telling of the Heracles myth to counteract the uneducational effects of Disney's animated film "Hercules". This book fits the bill. Not only is it traditional and thorough, it is fascinating, tasteful, beautifully-illustrated and intellectually-stimulating as well. My 5 year-old enjoyed this book at least as much as the animated movie (and he came away from it with a much more accurate understanding of the myth).

A good rendering of the classic tale, but with a major flaw.......2001-06-13

All cultures have their legends of heroes and the greatest in Western culture is Hercules. His twelve labors were considered so impossible that any extremely difficult task is now described as herculean. However, the myth of Hercules is as much a tale of tragedy as it is of triumph, making it more complex than a simple tale of hero defeats villain. His labors are a penance for having murdered his wife and family in a fit of mindless rage. Meted out by the Oracle at Delphi, it is clear that the intent of the punishment was to have him die in the attempt. It is important for children to learn these myths, as they explain a great deal about how the ancients viewed the world and how our understanding of the world has changed over time. Books like this, detailing the labors at the level of children, should be required reading in the early years. While the story is readable and the illustrations well done, there is one serious difficulty with the book.
Zeus and the other gods, creatures such as centaurs and Titans such as Atlas appear in the labors. When my youngest daughter was reading the book, she often stopped and asked questions like, “What’s a centaur?” If I had not been present to answer the questions, her enjoyment of the book and understanding of the tales would have been significantly reduced. It would have been very helpful if a list of the characters in the book with a one sentence description had been included.
Overall, the authors do a good job in telling the greatest myth of antiquity. The illustrations help keep the attention of the reader, but the lack of explanation concerning the other characters does weaken it.

Sophocles, Volume II. Antigone. The Women of Trachis. Philoctetes. Oedipus at Colonus (Loeb Classical Library No. 21)

Average customer rating:

Worth the investment.
Excellent edition
oedipus tyrannus
Reading for Enjoyment
Excellent

Sophocles, Volume II. Antigone. The Women of Trachis. Philoctetes. Oedipus at Colonus (Loeb Classical Library No. 21)
Sophocles , and Hugh Lloyd-Jones
Manufacturer: Loeb Classical Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0674995589

Book Description

Sophocles (497/6-406 BCE), with Aeschylus and Euripides, was one of the three great tragic poets of Athens, and is considered one of the world's greatest poets. The subjects of his plays were drawn from mythology and legend. Each play contains at least one heroic figure, a character whose strength, courage, or intelligence exceeds the human norm—but who also has more than ordinary pride and self-assurance. These qualities combine to lead to a tragic end.

Hugh Lloyd-Jones gives us, in two volumes, a new translation of the seven surviving plays. Volume I contains Oedipus Tyrannus (which tells the famous Oedipus story), Ajax (a heroic tragedy of wounded self-esteem), and Electra (the story of siblings who seek revenge on their mother and her lover for killing their father). Volume II contains Oedipus at Colonus (the climax of the fallen hero's life), Antigone (a conflict between public authority and an individual woman's conscience), The Women of Trachis (a fatal attempt by Heracles' wife to regain her husband's love), and Philoctetes (Odysseus's intrigue to bring an unwilling hero to the Trojan War).

Of his other plays, only fragments remain; but from these much can be learned about Sophocles' language and dramatic art. The major fragments—ranging in length from two lines to a very substantial portion of the satyr play The Searchers—are collected in Volume III of this edition. In prefatory notes Lloyd-Jones provides frameworks for the fragments of known plays.

Customer Reviews:

Worth the investment. .......2006-09-14

If you haven't read anything by Sophocles and want to read him for fun, I'd suggest getting the Fagles translations of the Theban plays, followed by the Sophocles II volume published by University of Chicago. That will get you every complete play we have by him and is a good way to start.

However, if you've read one (or even all) of the plays in this volume, know some Greek, and want to go a bit deeper, this is the book you're looking for. The translations in this volume are extremely, almost unusually, literal. While the two most prominent translations (Fagles and Greene) waver from the text at times for poetic value, Lloyd-Jones does nothing of the sort. For the most part, what you see on the left side is as close as it gets in English to the Greek on the right side. This is really helpful for those who know enough Greek to be curious about what Sophocles is up to but not enough to actually read the text in the Greek without a lexicon.

I generally see Loeb books as investments, due to their high costs. This is one investment that has paid off for me. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Oedipus the King, Ajax, or Electra (although let's be honest: you probably want this more for Oedipus the King than for the other two plays).

Excellent edition.......2006-09-06

Very good translation and excellent hardbound edition of some of the best plays ever written.

oedipus tyrannus.......2005-07-10

This play is a fantastic view at what some ancient people in Athens thought about their leader Pericles. I love this play, and can only justify Loeb Classics as the best text. I challenge anyone to read this play and not feel a strange need to wickedly laugh out loud as the story unfolds.

Reading for Enjoyment.......2005-06-06

I honestly enjoyed reading these plays. Especially the first and third. The translation is easy to read and flows really well. I picked these up to supplement some lines of study that I'm pursuing but ended up enjoying them in their own right and for the purposes natural to them. These are not dusty old dry plays - exactly the opposite - these are vibrant introductions to the ancient greek world. I highly recommend you read these - and I recommend this edition and most especially the wonderful translation.

Excellent.......2002-06-01

Sophocles is the master of Greek drama and a master at contstructing a plot. Antigone is excellent and turns into an amazing story that leaves you rethinking just who the "tragic hero" of the play is. Oedipus at Colonus is perhaps the saddest play of the so called "Oedipus Cycle". Yet, in a way, it has a very redeeming end. This is a great edition because, of course like all the Loeb series, it also has the Greek.

The Portable Greek Historians: The Essence of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius (Viking Portable Library)

Average customer rating:

Leaves you wanting for more

The Portable Greek Historians: The Essence of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius (Viking Portable Library)

Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014015065X

Customer Reviews:

Leaves you wanting for more.......2001-03-18

Dont be confused by the relatively low ranking, this book is good. The only trouble is that it only contains fragments of the greatest historians ever. Though this is what the editor set out to do, you will feel cheated by not having the whole story to read. If all you want is a glimpse at what made the ancient historians so special, this is the book for you. However, chances are that you will want the complete story as well, something this collection cant offer.

The Odyssey (Everyman's Library (Cloth))

Average customer rating:

The Odyssey. Homer/ Robert Fitzgerald, translator.
Terrible
"The Odyssey" review
A Masterpiece of Poetry
All time favorite Writer. All time favorite Hero.

The Odyssey (Everyman's Library (Cloth))
Homer , and Robert Fitzgerald
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679410473
Release Date: 1992-11-03

Book Description

One of the supreme masterpieces of world literature, the Homeric saga of the shipwrecks, wanderings, and homecoming of the master tactician Odysseus encompasses a virtual inventory of the themes and attitudes that have shaped Western culture. The tale of Odysseus’s encounters with such obstacles as Calypso, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis, the Sirens, and the lotus-eaters, and his dramatic return to Ithaca and his patient wife, Penelope, forms a prototype for all subsequent Western epics.

Robert Fitzgerald’s much-acclaimed translation, fully possessing as it does the body and spirit of the original, has helped to assure the continuing vitality of Europe’s most influential work of poetry. This edition includes twenty-five new line drawings by Barnaby Fitzgerald.

Customer Reviews:

The Odyssey. Homer/ Robert Fitzgerald, translator. .......2007-10-02

"Odysseus rolled his head
to one side softly, ducking the blow, and smiled
a crooked smile with teeth clenched."

It's been a few years since I read Walden, but I recall Thoreau stating that Homer's epics should be read in no language but Greek. He may have been less inclined to this view if he'd had access to Robert Fitzgerald's translation, first published in 1961. It is said, by those who know these things far better than I, that heroic dactylic hexameter cannot be justly translated, and it is easy to imagine that there have been some artistically poor translations that have rendered Homer's works as generic prose. But Fitzgerald's acclaimed editions are quite artful indeed.

Odysseus' heroic trait is his `cunning intelligence'; he is admired by all mortal men that have heard his name, rulers and even the gods regard him highly; he is, for several years, the sexual prisoner of the immortal nymph, Calypso, before his epic, obstacle-riddled return to Ithaca and Penelope. [Odysseus' son] Telémakhos' heroic trait is his cool-headed, pragmatic discernment and patience. Penelope is the model of the faithful spouse, and a drove of [her] unscrupulous suitors are the leading antagonists.

There are many technical, source-critical, textual, and historical considerations concomitant to The Odyssey, and I am not qualified to speak to any of these. But the story is amazing, and in many ways `modern', certainly as to how its vignettes are structured. Twenty-six hundred years later, the heroic characters of literature, popular fiction and film/video continue to borrow the qualities and traits of Odysseus and Telémakhos.

Terrible.......2007-05-13

Sent me a different translation than I was sold. Not good for a college class that required a specific translation.

"The Odyssey" review.......2007-04-16

By Jove--this is something else.

Firstly, if you are interested in this book, get background information on Greek mythology, The Iliad, and The Odyssey. Familiarize yourself with Homer's style, the different spellings of names, etc. It's especially good to read this in school, which is where I read it first, because the teacher has knowledge of the epic and can help you in reading it.

The Odyssey is really, something else. It and its partner The Iliad have their own style of story-telling, characterization, and description.
Homer, the storyteller, possesses a powerful and confident voice. As my English teacher said, "Homer is the MAN of epics", and that could not be a lie. The text is hard to read at first, because it contains advanced language, some archaic words, and the reader needs to familiarize themselves with the cultural background of ancient Greece. However, the text becomes enjoyable and rhythmic as the story progresses, making the reader wanting to read NOTHING ELSE but Homer.

The storyline itself is AMAZING, but even more than that. It's chaotic, contains plot twists...it's possibly one of the IDEAL stories of all time.
Odysseus' journey to return home to Ithaka is filled with life themes such as despondency, peril, greed, and bravery. It's emotionally moving and thought-provoking as one reads of the lives Odysseus, Telemachus, and Penelope lead after the Trojan War, and awaiting the reunion of their family. Odysseus' own 'odyssey' is filled with dangerous monsters, promiscious nymphs, and sorrow-filled nights at sea.

Figuratively, The Odyssey parallels real life, because each life is an 'odyssey'. We all face our monsters, promiscious nymphs, and sorrow-filled nights, but also the rage of battle against suitors and the joy of finally returning home.

A Masterpiece of Poetry.......2007-01-15

This book is not bad, but I had some difficulty understanding it. It's a lot of reading, and lots of words in there that I don't know, which is kind of irritating because I'm too lazy to look up 5 million words per page just to understand ONE PAGE. Anyway, that's not important.

This version of translation is considered to be the closest to the original greek version, so reading this book might as well be reading what Homer actually wrote. It's well written, filled with full of imagery, metaphor, homeric similes, advantures, personifications, etc. It's very "visualistic." A masterpiece, no doubt!!

All time favorite Writer. All time favorite Hero........2006-12-11

The Odyssy, is a classic book written by Homer himself that stars the famous Hero Odysseus, his son Telemachus, and the goddess Athena. Homer was a greek poet and aoidos that wrote both The Iliad and The Odyssey. No classic can compare to The Odyssey.

In the story, The gods of Olympus finally decide to guide Odysseus home. He reaches a famous land where the people gladdly take him in. As he is kept there he tells them how he ended up marooned on the island he sailed from. He tells them of his battle with the anciant cyclops Polypheumus, his outsmarting of the charming goddess Circe, and his other famous adventures. After he finishes his story, his hosts take him over seas to his home land where he has revenge on the fowl suiters who took his place on the throne and allowed crime to roam through the streets. But i will not say if he lives or not. That is for you people to find out.

This book is so interesting that i bet all fictional readers would give it a 5 star each, because i certainly do. The big reason I liked the book was because it had a perfect mixture of fantasy, adventure, sorrow, action, and romance. Very good read for those who love this stuff.

Average customer rating:

Cyclops
Leonard Everett Fisher
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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ASIN: 0823408914

Fables (Everyman's Library Children's Classics)

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Adorable and smart
A Classic of English Literature
The Original Fables from which all others seem to have decended
Definitive version

Fables (Everyman's Library Children's Classics)
Aesop
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679417907
Release Date: 1992-11-03

Book Description

Aesop is said to have lived in the sixth century B.C., a slave on the Greek island of Samos. The eternally entertaining tales attributed to him–in which the fates of sly foxes, wicked wolves, industrious ants, and others, suggest what our own behaviors should (or should not) be–have been universal "best-sellers" since before L'Estrange's definitive 1692 English translation. Gooden's superb engravings were first published in 1936 in a limited edition.

Customer Reviews:

Adorable and smart.......2007-07-17

I registered for this book for our infant, and I can't wait to read it to her (a few years from now, obviously...). Unlike some Aesop's Fables (which are rewritten or dumbed down) this one is a 17th Cent. trans by L'Estrange with engravings. It's clever and amusing (so many of the fables have to do with avoiding court flattery! Obviously quite a concern for them...) If you're looking for a picture book for young children, this probably is not what you're looking for, but if you want to fill your child's library with educational classics, this is a great choice.

A Classic of English Literature.......2006-03-20

The Everyman Library deserves congratulations for reprinting the L'Estrange translation, which has been a much loved, much abused, and highly influential collection of Aesop since it first appeared in 1692. Its merits have little to do with its translation, since L'Estrange translated from a Latin translation of the Greek fables, and translated freely at that. Instead, it's the lively retellings, and the shamelessly opinionated "reflections" (usually longer than the fables themselves) that make this volume engaging and unique.

Modern readers will need a good dictionary in order to make sense of the obsolete vocabulary. For instance, this from "A Wolf and a Fox": "The Fox had a fetch in't, and when he saw it would not fadge; away goes he." Readers who want only the fables should look elsewhere, but readers who are interested in how the fables were interpreted, or readers interested in overlooked classics of English literature, will enjoy this.

The edition is enhanced with illustrations by Stephen Gooden, which originally appeared in a limited edition (London, 1936). Readers should note that this edition includes only 197 fables; L'Estrange's editions included 500, but these books are rare and now sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Most of the famous fables--"Hare and Tortoise," "Fox and Grapes," "City Mouse & Country Mouse," "Boy Who Cried Wolf," "Lion in Love"--are here, but "Ant and Grasshopper," "Mice, Cat, and Bell," "The Sun and the North Wind," and "The Two Pots" are not.

The icing on the cake is the inclusion of L'Estrange's LIFE of Aesop, a feature absent from other current editions. The LIFE is largely a legend (as L'Estrange admits), but it's nice to have the legend available.

The Original Fables from which all others seem to have decended.......2005-10-15

Legend has it that Aesop lived during the sixth century BC. He was born a deformed slave and in some of the early stories was said to of had a speech impediment as well. In his lifetime he supposedly was owned by two different masters before the latter of which gave him his freedom as a reward for his wit and intelligence. As a free man it is theorized that he then became involved in public affairs and traveled a lot, telling his fables along the way. His fables went on to be among the first printed works in the vernacular European languages, and writers and thinkers throughout history have perpetuated them to such an extent that they are embraced as among the essential truths about human beings and their ways. All fables told before him came to be attributed to him, and all fables told after him were said to be influenced by him. At the beginning of this book are some short stories about Aesop the man, from the time he was a slave up through when he was freed and became a philosopher. The later parts of the book then contain the actual fables themselves that Aesop told (I believe there are 84 in all). Although I liked some of the earlier stories, I still enjoyed the later parts better.

In the early stories Aesop seemed at times like a detective using his wits and intelligence to help solve cases. A lot of it just seemed like common sense, but some of the other stories had morals in them as well. In the very first story for instance (pg. 18), which also happened to be one of my favorites, Aesop and his fellow slaves are upon a journey to Ephesus. When given a choice of burdens to carry Aesop chooses a pannier of bread that at first was twice as heavy as any of the other parcels, and this made all of the other slaves think him a fool. By the time they had all eaten from this pannier for lunch and dinner however, Aesop then had the lightest burden of all to carry at a time of day when they were all at there weakest. This showed them that he had a lot more sense then they had first given him credit for. The main moral expressed here was that you can't judge a man's intelligence just by this appearance. (I'm sure in more modern times this went on to became "You can't judge a book by it's cover".)

The fables themselves were then split up into three parts. "The Story", "The Moral", and then "The Reflection". The Story and the Moral I believe expressed Aesop's initial writings and were usually very short and straight to the point, while the Reflection I believe was added on by the translator Sir Roger L'Estrange in 1692. While helpful at times, The Reflection on occasion seemed redundant and unnecessary in instances where it just reworded each of the morals.

Aesop's fables tried to teach man what behaviors they should not do as opposed to teaching them what they should do. Over the years movies and television shows have touched upon many of these themes and many religions have drawn upon and adopted these teachings as well. The Greek gods (Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Juno, Hercules, etc...) are well represented in quite a few of these fables. My favorite of these was "Mercury and a Carpenter" (pg. 219). Part of the story involves a carpenter who dropped his axe into a river and prayed to Mercury to retrieve it for him. Mercury shot down and first brought up a golden axe out of the river, but the carpenter refused it admitting that it wasn't his. Mercury then brought up a Silver one, and again the carpenter refused it because it was not his. The third time Mercury brought up one with a wooden handle that the carpenter recognized as his own and accepted. Mercury was so impressed with the carpenter's honesty that he gave him all three axes, by this we are supposed to learn that Heaven loves Men of Truth and Integrity.

Almost every fable uses what now would be considered common metaphors (the sly fox, the loyal dog, the rogue wolf, the traitorous snake, the innocent lamb, the kingly lion, the stupid jackass, etc...). A brief listing of the fables I liked the most and the morals learned in each are listed below:

In "A Dog and a Shadow" (pg, 53) we learn that all who covert are lost. Later I'm sure this became better known as "a bird in the hand is better then two in the bush".
In "A Lion and a Mouse" (pg. 70) we learn that the Great and the Little have need of one another.
In "A Wolf, Kid, and Goat" (pg. 92) we learn that there is always some mark to tell a hypocrite so disguised. Use prudence, caution, and obedience (a wolf in sheep's clothing will always be revealed).
In "An Ax and a Forest" (pg. 116) we learn that nothing goes nearer a Man in his Misfortunes, than to find himself undone by his own folly, or be an accessory to his own Ruin.
In "A Fox and a Sick Lion" (pg 126) we learn that the kindnesses of ill-natured and designing People should be thoroughly considered and examined, before we give credit to them.
In "A Boy and False Alarms" (pg. 154) we learn that he must be a very wise Man that knows the true Bounds, and Measure of fooling, with a respect to Time, Place, Matters, Persons, & c. But Religion, Business, and Cases of Consequence must be excepted of that sort of Liberty.
In "A Boy and His Mother" (pg. 182) we learn that we are either made or marred in our Education; and Governments, as well as private Families, are concerned in the Consequences of it.
In "A Gnat Challenges a Lion" (pg. 309) we learn that Its in the power of Fortune to Humble the Pride of the Mighty, even by the most Despicable Means, and to make a Gnat Triumph over a Lion: Wherefore let no Creature, how Great or how little so ever, Presume on the One side, or Despair on the Other. There is nothing either so Great, or so Little, as not to be Liable to the Vicissitudes of Fortune, whether for Good or for Evil.

Definitive version.......1999-07-26

This 17th century translation by Everyman's Library, while at times difficult because of the Elizabethan English, contains expanded reflections that explain the moral behind each story. This edition emphasizes the importance of character building and morality rather than mere entertainment. Presented in a schoolbook style, this text is a wonderful book for adults as well, especially those concerned about the education of their children. Be sure to read the Preface. Includes a lengthy introduction to the life of Aesop.

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