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Book of Dragons: And Other Mythical Beasts
The beasts that inhabit the realms of ancient myth and folklore are among the most compelling creatures of imagination. This is a modern collection of animal lore in the tradition of natural histories, including beasts from all over the world.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Nigg
13 books14 followersSince the early 1980s, Joseph (Joe) Nigg has explored the rich cultural lives of mythical creatures in a variety of styles and formats for readers of all ages. His books have garnered multiple awards, and his current international bestseller, "How to Raise and Keep a Dragon," has been translated into more than twenty languages.
"Griffins, the Phoenix, dragons, unicorns, and other traditional animals of the imagination are all around us in words and images," Nigg writes. "But when you delve into the histories of these creatures, you'll find an incredible wealth of cross-cultural lore intertwined with history, myth, religion, art, literature, science, and specialized areas such as alchemy and heraldry. While looking beyond the popular presence of mythical beasts, you'll discover as much about the history and dreams of the human race as about our animal creations."
Nigg has been writing about fabulous beasts ever since he became intrigued by a fantastic animal figure on an antique lamp in his study. The winged lion with a fish tail eventually led him to the local art museum, where he was allowed to hold an ancient Persian silver cup embossed with griffins. That experience resulted in his first book, "The Book of Gryphons" (Apple-wood Books, 1982), a lavishly illustrated history of the eagle-lion beast. Since then, his scope has broadened to the entire host of fantastic animals worldwide. After twelve years of research and writing, Nigg recently completed THE PHOENIX: A CULTURAL HISTORY. The most comprehensive Phoenix study to date, the book traces the transmission and transformations of the mythical bird from ancient Egypt to the present.
He was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up throughout the Midwest. Holding an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from the University of Denver, he taught at several colleges and served as the executive editor of a global network before writing full time.
"Griffins, the Phoenix, dragons, unicorns, and other traditional animals of the imagination are all around us in words and images," Nigg writes. "But when you delve into the histories of these creatures, you'll find an incredible wealth of cross-cultural lore intertwined with history, myth, religion, art, literature, science, and specialized areas such as alchemy and heraldry. While looking beyond the popular presence of mythical beasts, you'll discover as much about the history and dreams of the human race as about our animal creations."
Nigg has been writing about fabulous beasts ever since he became intrigued by a fantastic animal figure on an antique lamp in his study. The winged lion with a fish tail eventually led him to the local art museum, where he was allowed to hold an ancient Persian silver cup embossed with griffins. That experience resulted in his first book, "The Book of Gryphons" (Apple-wood Books, 1982), a lavishly illustrated history of the eagle-lion beast. Since then, his scope has broadened to the entire host of fantastic animals worldwide. After twelve years of research and writing, Nigg recently completed THE PHOENIX: A CULTURAL HISTORY. The most comprehensive Phoenix study to date, the book traces the transmission and transformations of the mythical bird from ancient Egypt to the present.
He was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up throughout the Midwest. Holding an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from the University of Denver, he taught at several colleges and served as the executive editor of a global network before writing full time.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 27, 2015
I think their may be more interesting books out there with the same lore and better drawings. It is colorful.
May 1, 2022
Het is een interessant boek. Interessant hoe veel denkbeeldige dieren er bestaan op aarde, hoe ze er uit zien en waar mensen denken ze gezien te hebben. Ook interessant waar die dieren beroemd zijn. Het boek heeft mooie plaatjes ook.
November 9, 2022
A very colourful little book of dragons and other mythical creatures. I thought the Vegetable Lamb an interesting addition.
February 4, 2025
En ocasiones es muy difícil de leer por los colores que utiliza y aunque tiene unas cuantas criaturas curiosas la vdd es que no es la gran cosa.
January 23, 2016
I have a couple other books of this sort and compared with those, this book is better as far as illustrations go but does not have as much information.
As far as the appearance goes, the dustjacket is gold with colorful pictures of several creatures, (very inviting). I was suprised at the size of the book, I was expecting it to be somewhat bigger. The hardback is good quality and sturdy with the same design as the dustjacket.
Inside, the pictures are very colorful. While not all of the illustrations are what I would call "beautiful," they are interesting and pleasant to look at.
An interesting feature of the book is a family tree covering two full pages featuring the four branches, or families, of creatures listed in this book. There is also a map of the world showing where these creatures can be found.
This is a very nice book, worth having, more for the illustrations than the info, since more detailed information can be found in other books.
As far as the appearance goes, the dustjacket is gold with colorful pictures of several creatures, (very inviting). I was suprised at the size of the book, I was expecting it to be somewhat bigger. The hardback is good quality and sturdy with the same design as the dustjacket.
Inside, the pictures are very colorful. While not all of the illustrations are what I would call "beautiful," they are interesting and pleasant to look at.
An interesting feature of the book is a family tree covering two full pages featuring the four branches, or families, of creatures listed in this book. There is also a map of the world showing where these creatures can be found.
This is a very nice book, worth having, more for the illustrations than the info, since more detailed information can be found in other books.
April 18, 2016
Well, there's really not anything to dislike about this book. The author has written a short description of a variety of different species, from well known Chinese dragons to Unicorns, to lesser known Karkajons and Ki-Lin's. Each species gets a double page with a fantastic illustration - although some of those are a bit odd, they're all fascinating. I was pleasantly surprised to find there were lots of animals I hadn't heard of and enjoyed reading about them. A good little read to dip in and out of.
August 4, 2011
Including such favourites as the Vegetable Lamb ("one of the rare animals that grows from plants") the Roc ("The bird that carries off elephants") and the Barnacle Goose, complete with hilarious pictures! Of course the Dragon chapters interested me the most, but the book was entertaining in its entirety!
September 18, 2016
A creative and engaging little book written in the style of the classic bestiary. I really enjoyed reading it, and especially enjoyed the beautiful illustrations that accompanied each creature. Goodreads says that this is a kid's book, but I found it with the adult books at the local library, so I guess you could say that this is a book that anyone could enjoy!
March 12, 2008
I really liked this book except for the mermaid page.
In the head of the Dragon of India and Ethiopia, is a shining gem that cures all diseases. I wish this were real and we could put it in a pill to cure cancer.
In the head of the Dragon of India and Ethiopia, is a shining gem that cures all diseases. I wish this were real and we could put it in a pill to cure cancer.
December 21, 2008
A very fun read! Many of the earth's mystical and immaginary beasts, read all about them here!
September 29, 2016
Rather interesting book. I love mythology and always read a new book when I find one.
March 31, 2023
This book got me started on one of my topics nowadays: mythology. It's a great start for children to learn about mythological beasts.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews