A review by seano
Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad by Rosemary Sutcliff

5.0

How good is this book?

1. I read almost exclusively on the Kindle because of presbyopia. But I read this physical book gladly.

2. I somehow managed to lose the book while traveling, so I immediately ordered a replacement.

Ok, so you know know at what lengths I've gone to read this book. Now marvel at the lengths the Greeks took to defeat Troy.

This is a prose retelling of the Iliad, written in a manner appropriate for all ages. Well, all ages interested in fairly epic tales of ancient battlefields. Paraphrasing here:

"His body was dragged from the chariot", "the spear pierced his shield and entered his heart, and his vision swam, as the world spun from red to black"

You know, for kids!!!

I've read parts of the Iliad and I was impressed at how much this book captures the feel of the story and Homer's style.

Recommended to Mythology fans, folks who loved Gaiman's Norse Mythology, and anyone interested in knowing more about those famous names: Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon, Odysseus. It's all here.

Next up? Sutcliff's retelling of the Odyssey.