The Everything Classical Mythology Book: Greek and Roman Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters from Ares to Zeus

by Lesley Bolton

Entertaining and educational, The Everything Classical Mythology Book is a superb introduction to ancient Greek and Roman mythology. For those of us who cannot recount the twelve labours of Hercules, how Odysseus tricked the Trojans, why the phrase "Achilles Heel' was first coined, or how Medusa was slain, this comprehensive volume will provide answers to these and hundreds more enquiries.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Reference, History, Greek Mythology, Greece

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[So Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice introductory course to Greek and Roman mythology. I personally find it geared toward young adults, but older may reap benefit as well. About the only drawback: it doesn't tell much about individual heroes like Achilles and Jason, however, The Olympian Gods are very well introduced.

[Jaycee Lam · Rating 3 out of 5]

How could you call this is a "everything classical mythology book" when it doesnt have the tales of Eros and Psyche, lol i really want that one. Beside that this is an enjoyable and good book about your greek mythology.

[(╯`▭´）╯︵ ǝɔnɒꓷ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a little boring in the beginning and definitely had some confusing typos, but it was pretty good. Had myths in there I was very familiar with, but also had a few elements in there I'd never heard of. Which, if you know me and my love for Greek mythology, you know that's a pretty impressive feat.

[Ren · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's enough if you're looking for names and an incredibly vague understanding of the mythological figures. Good for clues, but doesn't offer much detail of the stories and meaning behind each of these figures. Great if you are quickly looking for the base key points though.

[Melissa Kidd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. I know lots of bits and pieces of Greek mythology, but I've never gotten the full picture; who is whose child, who did what and so on. I wanted the basic information in a simple read so that I could get an overview before reading more specific mythological stories. This did the job. It was very straight forward and gave me all the base facts that helped me connect all the mythological stories I have already read this past year together. I found that having read mythology already helped. If I hadn't I might have been a little overwhelmed from the sheer amount of information. But if you have some background in the subject this book is very easy to get through. Really it's just a way to connect all the dots.

[Ashti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Greek Mythology way back in 1990 and it will forever be a love mine!!!

I love this book because if I were to write a book on the subject, it will be like this entertaining guide that explains all the great myths and explores how they have influenced language, art, music, psychology and even todays popular culture!!!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was converted to this Everything series when I was studying to test out of college history. I loved the summaries, timelines, pictures, and witty writing. This book wasn't quite as exciting in its presentation, but it was great to get to know more about Greek mythology without having to dig through it myself. :)

[Lorri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written like a playful encyclopedia, this book helped me understand Greek and Roman mythology better. However, it also helped me discover that Greek and Roman mythology is much more sexually violent than I had remembered from learning it in 6th grade. Go figure. Of course, that has nothing to do with the quality of this book, hence the 4 stars.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

i enjoyed this book very much, infact this was the first book i read when i took a serious interest in Greek Mythology. this was a great book to read and full of interesting information and stories on the greek gods and heroes. this book encouraged me to continue my fascination with the greek gods and all the mythology surrounding them. a fantastic book to read.

[Dariusmiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

within the time that I was reading this book, it has came to me that it fun for me to make my own mythology. I seen a lot of mythology's, and you know it made me really feel like making one of my own.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a comprehensive and engaging guide to all things Greek Mythology. Unlike most reference books, this one was written in a way that comes off as entertaining. I was actually able to sit and read the entire book, and retain all of the information.

[Marilyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apparently, the author of this book is interested in sharing information about rather obscure gods and goddesses. I guess that would explain the "everything" part of the title but it's written in a rather off-handed way that makes it uninteresting and repetitive.

[Stacy]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/2337597