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Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad
For Greek myth fans, those who can't get enough of the D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, and readers who have aged out of Rick Riordan, this classroom staple and mythology classic is perfect for learning about the ancient myths!
As the gods and goddesses of Olympus scheme, the ancient world is thrown into turmoil when Helen, the most beautiful woman in all of Greece, is stolen away by her Trojan love. Inflamed by jealousy, the Greek king seeks lethal vengeance and sends his black war ships to descend on the city of Troy.
In the siege that follows, history's greatest heroes, from Ajax to Achilles to Odysseus, are forged in combat, and the brutal costs of passion, pride, and revenge must be paid. In the end, the whims of the gods, the cunning of the warriors, and a great wooden horse will decide who emerges victorious.
Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time and Rosemary Sutcliff's retelling of the classic saga embodies all of the astonishing drama, romance, and intrigue of ancient Greece.
Don't miss The Wanderings of Odysseus, the companion to Black Ships Before Troy, and follow Odysseus on his adventure home.
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades 6-8, Stories) in Appendix B.
As the gods and goddesses of Olympus scheme, the ancient world is thrown into turmoil when Helen, the most beautiful woman in all of Greece, is stolen away by her Trojan love. Inflamed by jealousy, the Greek king seeks lethal vengeance and sends his black war ships to descend on the city of Troy.
In the siege that follows, history's greatest heroes, from Ajax to Achilles to Odysseus, are forged in combat, and the brutal costs of passion, pride, and revenge must be paid. In the end, the whims of the gods, the cunning of the warriors, and a great wooden horse will decide who emerges victorious.
Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time and Rosemary Sutcliff's retelling of the classic saga embodies all of the astonishing drama, romance, and intrigue of ancient Greece.
Don't miss The Wanderings of Odysseus, the companion to Black Ships Before Troy, and follow Odysseus on his adventure home.
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades 6-8, Stories) in Appendix B.
151 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
184 people are currently reading
3173 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Sutcliff
107 books677 followersRosemary Sutcliff, CBE (1920-1992) was a British novelist, best known as a writer of highly acclaimed historical fiction. Although primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults. She once commented that she wrote "for children of all ages, from nine to ninety."
Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her father was stationed as a naval officer. She contracted Still's Disease when she was very young and was confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Due to her chronic sickness, she spent the majority of her time with her mother, a tireless storyteller, from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon legends that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Her early schooling being continually interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition, Sutcliff didn't learn to read until she was nine, and left school at fourteen to enter the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. She then worked as a painter of miniatures.
Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near Arundel, Sussex. In 1975 she was appointed OBE for services to Children's Literature and promoted to CBE in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death. She never married.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rosema...
Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her father was stationed as a naval officer. She contracted Still's Disease when she was very young and was confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Due to her chronic sickness, she spent the majority of her time with her mother, a tireless storyteller, from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon legends that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Her early schooling being continually interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition, Sutcliff didn't learn to read until she was nine, and left school at fourteen to enter the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. She then worked as a painter of miniatures.
Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near Arundel, Sussex. In 1975 she was appointed OBE for services to Children's Literature and promoted to CBE in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death. She never married.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rosema...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 451 reviews
September 4, 2017
This is the perfect book for those that want a taste of Homer's Iliad before attempting the full work. Although aimed at a younger reading audience, Sutcliff's writing is concise and gripping; thus, this will be as equally beneficial to adults. This, when brought together with the excellent artistic skills of Allan Lee, makes for a lavish retelling of the Iliad.
The story begins with two lovers, a Trojan Prince (Paris) and the wife of Menelaus King of Sparta (Helen). Helen's beauty captured the heart of Paris, and as Christopher Marlowe famously said Helen was the face that launched a thousand ships. This was followed by a very long war, death and lots of blood resulting in a long drawn out siege that would continue for many years. Fabled heroes clashed spear against spear, shield against shield and the war waged on and on. Many would become immortalised in the action. Hector, Ajax and Odysseus to name a few; however, none more so than the mighty Achilles himself.
And this is where the illustrations and the writing excelled. In the images Achilles foregrounds all the other warriors, naturally, his presence demands attention. In Sutcliff's prose his presence was powerful and fear-inducing to his enemies. His anger, when roused, was terrible to behold. Few could stand against it and none of them for very long. When Patroclus fell, as Homer's narrative dictates, he was near unstoppable. The blame lay at the feet of Prince Hector, mightiest of the Trojans, and even he faltered at the sight of the golden haired warrior's wrath.
Great Artwork
Unlike other modern adaptations, Sutcliff does not solely focus on the story of Achilles. The Iliad does not follow one central character, after all, but instead breaks off into parts each telling the story of one particular character and his/her actions through the siege. Sutcliff jumps between the intertwining plots with dexterity. The story of Ajax's shame and dishonouring is told against the tales of Odysseus' ingenuity. Odysseus is, arguably, the most important character in the original work, so it was great to see him have a lot of page time despite the fact that his actions are not quite as dramatic as those of other characters.
Alan Lee has illustrated many special editions of Tolkien's writing. His work captures a sense of the epic within such settings. And it was great to see it here too. Sutcliff's writing is good, but it is the work of Alan Lee alongside it that makes this book truly remarkable. The images captured the sheer scale of the fighting and the urgency Agamemnon had for total victory, though it wasn't him that, ultimately, won the war. It was the soldiers, the heroes. It was those who fought for glory, rather than any particular political motivation or advancement, and it is those which history will remember most strongly.
So this book will be great for young readers hearing the story of Troy for the first time, but it also provides an excellent plot overview for those who want to read Homer's work in full at a later date. It's almost like an introduction, concise and explanatory, appropriate for children and adults like all great books that fall into the children's literature category should be.
The story begins with two lovers, a Trojan Prince (Paris) and the wife of Menelaus King of Sparta (Helen). Helen's beauty captured the heart of Paris, and as Christopher Marlowe famously said Helen was the face that launched a thousand ships. This was followed by a very long war, death and lots of blood resulting in a long drawn out siege that would continue for many years. Fabled heroes clashed spear against spear, shield against shield and the war waged on and on. Many would become immortalised in the action. Hector, Ajax and Odysseus to name a few; however, none more so than the mighty Achilles himself.
And this is where the illustrations and the writing excelled. In the images Achilles foregrounds all the other warriors, naturally, his presence demands attention. In Sutcliff's prose his presence was powerful and fear-inducing to his enemies. His anger, when roused, was terrible to behold. Few could stand against it and none of them for very long. When Patroclus fell, as Homer's narrative dictates, he was near unstoppable. The blame lay at the feet of Prince Hector, mightiest of the Trojans, and even he faltered at the sight of the golden haired warrior's wrath.
Great Artwork
Unlike other modern adaptations, Sutcliff does not solely focus on the story of Achilles. The Iliad does not follow one central character, after all, but instead breaks off into parts each telling the story of one particular character and his/her actions through the siege. Sutcliff jumps between the intertwining plots with dexterity. The story of Ajax's shame and dishonouring is told against the tales of Odysseus' ingenuity. Odysseus is, arguably, the most important character in the original work, so it was great to see him have a lot of page time despite the fact that his actions are not quite as dramatic as those of other characters.
Alan Lee has illustrated many special editions of Tolkien's writing. His work captures a sense of the epic within such settings. And it was great to see it here too. Sutcliff's writing is good, but it is the work of Alan Lee alongside it that makes this book truly remarkable. The images captured the sheer scale of the fighting and the urgency Agamemnon had for total victory, though it wasn't him that, ultimately, won the war. It was the soldiers, the heroes. It was those who fought for glory, rather than any particular political motivation or advancement, and it is those which history will remember most strongly.
So this book will be great for young readers hearing the story of Troy for the first time, but it also provides an excellent plot overview for those who want to read Homer's work in full at a later date. It's almost like an introduction, concise and explanatory, appropriate for children and adults like all great books that fall into the children's literature category should be.
December 31, 2012
The verdict of a seven-year-old:
"There's too much killing! They shouldn't have done that over one stupid woman! They should've just talked things out!"
"There's too much killing! They shouldn't have done that over one stupid woman! They should've just talked things out!"
November 7, 2018
A great introduction to the Iliad. It was dark and gruesome, but that allowed the moral quandaries to dance center stage. Through the entire story, even the youngest readers can’t help but judge good and evil, right and wrong, justice and mercy.
December 26, 2011
I didn't know, when I asked for this retelling of the story of Troy for Christmas, that it was illustrated by Alan Lee. It was enough for me that it was written by Rosemary Sutcliff! And even without the illustrations, it's well done: Rosemary Sutcliff brings a lot of pathos to it, with moments of insight and tenderness. I thought the moment from the Iliad with Astanyax being afraid of his father's helmet was well done, but there were other good bits. In most ways, though, it stuck close to the original stories, even in style, using epithets and so on. It's a pleasure to read, but it is a simplified, shorter version of the story of Troy aimed at children, after all...
But with Alan Lee's illustrations, it becomes completely enchanting. I loved the pictures of Thetis comforting Achilles, the scene where Helen, Andromache and Hecuba grieve over Hector's body, the one of Penthesilea and the other Amazons... They're all beautiful, actually, and suit it perfectly. So happy I got this.
But with Alan Lee's illustrations, it becomes completely enchanting. I loved the pictures of Thetis comforting Achilles, the scene where Helen, Andromache and Hecuba grieve over Hector's body, the one of Penthesilea and the other Amazons... They're all beautiful, actually, and suit it perfectly. So happy I got this.
June 26, 2018
A simple, middle grade to YA telling of the Illiad. After reading Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, and Circe, I have been driven to become more proficient in these Greek Myths, so I am starting with simpler tellings, and will ramp up, until hopefully, I feel ready to read Homer's masterpieces.
March 10, 2022
Master storyteller Rosemary Sutcliff’s adaptation of The Iliad remains both very accessible to all ages and yet stays true to it’s origins. Among her source books: The Aeneid, The Iliad: A New Prose Translation, and other sources listed in the bibliography. The addition of Alan Lee’s illustrations elevate the text to even greater heights making this oversized hardcover edition one of most engaging versions of The Iliad that I have read to date. Highly recommended.
February 3, 2013
Luke's review:
This was about a 10 year long war called the Trojan War between the Greeks and the Romans. And there was large wooden horse which was Odysseus' idea which help the Greeks to win the war.
It was terrific and exciting and it had lots of action.
Momma's Note: We listened to the audio version of this book which was read by Robert Glenister, and I can heartily recommend it. Robert Glenister is a fabulous narrator and captured the attention of my young son.
This was about a 10 year long war called the Trojan War between the Greeks and the Romans. And there was large wooden horse which was Odysseus' idea which help the Greeks to win the war.
It was terrific and exciting and it had lots of action.
Momma's Note: We listened to the audio version of this book which was read by Robert Glenister, and I can heartily recommend it. Robert Glenister is a fabulous narrator and captured the attention of my young son.
January 22, 2024
I couldn’t recommend this more: if you have kids, even as young as kindergarten, read them this book. The language is rich even for the adult reading it, and the art is stunning. Plus, your child will be able to engage in the centuries old debate: Achilles or Hector? and might even start adding Homeric epithets to her daily vocabulary (calling her sister “Hetty of the fair cheeks,” for example). Reading this with my daughter for school at the same time as I read the Iliad with my book club was such a fun experience.
November 16, 2017
An interesting read. Taken from Grecian mythology, something a people once believed to be true, something from history, the tale can be baffling. (Who wanted to believe their gods-blessed heroes massacred a city?) Steeped in violence, sprinkled in mythology, this book may not be one you’d like to pick up.
Then again, it claims to be history…
For content, check out the BookSeeker- Black Ships Before Troy
Then again, it claims to be history…
For content, check out the BookSeeker- Black Ships Before Troy
October 4, 2025
Was not ready to be gutted by the line about Hector's baby on the last page. My kids were consoling me...
April 11, 2013
This is a children's version of the Iliad, though not beneath the dignity of an adult. Sutcliff brings the many battle scenes alive in her meticulous telling and is very skilled in her use of vivid imagery. The character development is such that you are able to "see" people as neither good nor bad, but as humans who are capable of either. I think this is especially important in a children's book, because children by nature like to categorize characters in black or white, and literature like this helps them learn that the lines are not so neatly drawn in real life. The themes in this book make for great discussion: honor, betrayal, perseverance, vanity, narcissism, forgiveness, and dignity. A study of ancient Greece is really not complete without dipping into the Iliad and this book served well for my 14 year old daughter.
December 3, 2021
Out of all the trojan war adaptions i could have been forced to read i’m sure i could have read a much worse version. Don’t get me wrong this was awful to get through. I could make a very long list with lots of flaws. For example, too much whiny men, the fact that like every woman was a slave, talking horses, the fact that every man thought he was superior, and unnecessary battles of men proving their strength. The list goes on. Also the dramatic voice that my english teacher read this is was great addition to the story🙏
Read
September 29, 2023DNF.
Not even the mighty Rosemary Sutcliff, greatest among writing heroes, could convince me to get interested in these silly ancients.
I was fully prepared to have my mind changed, but my opinions remain as impregnable as a fully-dipped-in-the-river-Styx-Achilles.
I'm just not a Greek myths fan, as much as I would like to be.
And if Sutcliff can't convince me to love Greek mythology, I'm not sure anyone can.
Not even the mighty Rosemary Sutcliff, greatest among writing heroes, could convince me to get interested in these silly ancients.
I was fully prepared to have my mind changed, but my opinions remain as impregnable as a fully-dipped-in-the-river-Styx-Achilles.
I'm just not a Greek myths fan, as much as I would like to be.
And if Sutcliff can't convince me to love Greek mythology, I'm not sure anyone can.
January 18, 2021
I read this one several times with my kids many years ago. I’m glad I picked it up again.
February 8, 2015
It's...okay. I have to read it for class (ew) which kind of sucks the fun out of it.
August 17, 2023
Though abridged, a beautiful translation of the classic story. Thinking of using with junior high students.
March 27, 2012
The Iliad for children. Can such a book exist and be good at the same time? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" Not for very young children, mind you, because you can't really dress up war, death and destruction for little ones, but if you want to get an 11-13 year old started on some Greek mythology, this is the way to go (and there is an Odyssey to go along with it too!).
The story, as we all know, is fascinating -- from the Judgment of Paris, to the wooing of Helen of Troy, to the death of Achilles, to the end of Trojan War. Making this story intelligible to a young audience is difficult but Rosemary Sutcliffe has done it as well as anyone could have. And the illustrations in this book are exceptional.
I read this book aloud to one of my daughters. It took a long time, but it was worth it. And my daughter asked a million questions along the way, which made it all the more worthwhile for both of us. When we finished, we decided that we would make the Odyssey our next book...
However, in her current term in 9th grade, her English class happens to be reading the Odyssey (the original, not the version for children) and she is really well prepared for it having read this children's version of the Iliad (which, by the way, was a complete coincidence -- no, I am not a tiger parent who set out to prepare my daughter in junior high school for Greek mythology in high school!). So, now I don't know if we will read Rosemary Sutcliffe's version of the Odyssey or not. But I hope we do.
The story, as we all know, is fascinating -- from the Judgment of Paris, to the wooing of Helen of Troy, to the death of Achilles, to the end of Trojan War. Making this story intelligible to a young audience is difficult but Rosemary Sutcliffe has done it as well as anyone could have. And the illustrations in this book are exceptional.
I read this book aloud to one of my daughters. It took a long time, but it was worth it. And my daughter asked a million questions along the way, which made it all the more worthwhile for both of us. When we finished, we decided that we would make the Odyssey our next book...
However, in her current term in 9th grade, her English class happens to be reading the Odyssey (the original, not the version for children) and she is really well prepared for it having read this children's version of the Iliad (which, by the way, was a complete coincidence -- no, I am not a tiger parent who set out to prepare my daughter in junior high school for Greek mythology in high school!). So, now I don't know if we will read Rosemary Sutcliffe's version of the Odyssey or not. But I hope we do.
March 22, 2014
I read this with the kids for a children's book club. If it weren't for the book club, I probably would have stopped reading it to them but I would have kept reading for myself. There is a lot of violence in the Trojan war...and since I have never read the Illiad, I didn't realize how much violence is in the story. But I don't know how much they really understood. There are dozens of characters to keep up with so half of the time I was telling them which side a character fought on. And even towards the end of the book, one of my boys was asking who was Achilles, a main character on the Greek side throughout the book.
I enjoyed reading how several different Greek myths weave together into one greater story. Those Greek myths now make more sense to me understanding their part in a greater whole. I also am glad I understand better a story that has been around for ages. The pettiness of the men and the gods and goddesses also create good opportunities to talk about choices and consequences of those choices, jealousy, honesty, virtue and the lack of virtue, honor, customs different from ours, and other values. For that, it was also good to read to the kids. The kids asked "why" questions a lot, so it definitely had them thinking.
I enjoyed reading how several different Greek myths weave together into one greater story. Those Greek myths now make more sense to me understanding their part in a greater whole. I also am glad I understand better a story that has been around for ages. The pettiness of the men and the gods and goddesses also create good opportunities to talk about choices and consequences of those choices, jealousy, honesty, virtue and the lack of virtue, honor, customs different from ours, and other values. For that, it was also good to read to the kids. The kids asked "why" questions a lot, so it definitely had them thinking.
August 3, 2012
I'm pleased to have such a well written version of the Iliad (including the Aeneid's fall of Troy) for my sixth graders! Sutcliff does such a wonderful job with language in this translation that I plan to focus our English lessons on word choice, metaphors, similes, personification, extended metaphors, foreshadowing, and prediction. Additional lessons will include an historical timeline, Homer and Virgil, a discussion of translations to suit a particular audience, historical evidence of Troy and the pursuit of archeologists based on Homer's words, oral tradition to written tradition to theater to film, what makes a tale a classic, Greek gods, famous Greeks, famous Trojans, conflict of man vs. man, conflict of man vs. gods, fickleness of the gods, religion and worship rituals of ancient Greece.
I am so excited to bring this classic to my students. As we begin the school year, this will provide a powerful beginning for us. I hope I can instill love of mythology to my students as my teachers did for me so long ago. (Make that a mere 40 years ago!)
I am so excited to bring this classic to my students. As we begin the school year, this will provide a powerful beginning for us. I hope I can instill love of mythology to my students as my teachers did for me so long ago. (Make that a mere 40 years ago!)
April 15, 2017
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.
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.
March 2, 2024
This is a stunning retelling of The Iliad.
It was written beautifully and I found it to be gripping. The chapters were the perfect length for reading aloud.
(As a disclaimer and for context, it's been 15ish years since I read the full Iliad and have very little by way of memory of it, so cannot speak to the accuracy of the retelling.)
We read a paperback copy of "Black Ships Before Troy" without illustrations, and it was great on its own, but tracking down the edition featuring Alan Lee's artistry seems like the next right choice. 😍😍😍
*Note: battle scenes depicted. Much death and descriptions of killing. A great deal of violence. All treatment of the subject of infidelity was done tastefully, nothing overtly sexual featured with any of the characters. People are taken captive, city burns, it is mentioned that a baby dies by being thrown from a height. Several funerals take place including cremation on a pyre and burial of ashes. Greek mythology is in play as gods and goddesses are woven throughout the story.
Age range: probably middle school to adult. Possibly upper elementary if mature enough to handle the descriptions of death. We did it during high school and that was good, too. It is certainly a very richly-worded book, and quite intelligent (as opposed to there being any sense of it having been dumbed down). I absolutely would recommend this to adults (or anyone in the aforementioned age range) wanting a good book to function as a stepping stone to the full Iliad. This is what I was looking for, in my own quest, for sure, as I'm working back up to The Iliad itself.
It was written beautifully and I found it to be gripping. The chapters were the perfect length for reading aloud.
(As a disclaimer and for context, it's been 15ish years since I read the full Iliad and have very little by way of memory of it, so cannot speak to the accuracy of the retelling.)
We read a paperback copy of "Black Ships Before Troy" without illustrations, and it was great on its own, but tracking down the edition featuring Alan Lee's artistry seems like the next right choice. 😍😍😍
*Note: battle scenes depicted. Much death and descriptions of killing. A great deal of violence. All treatment of the subject of infidelity was done tastefully, nothing overtly sexual featured with any of the characters. People are taken captive, city burns, it is mentioned that a baby dies by being thrown from a height. Several funerals take place including cremation on a pyre and burial of ashes. Greek mythology is in play as gods and goddesses are woven throughout the story.
Age range: probably middle school to adult. Possibly upper elementary if mature enough to handle the descriptions of death. We did it during high school and that was good, too. It is certainly a very richly-worded book, and quite intelligent (as opposed to there being any sense of it having been dumbed down). I absolutely would recommend this to adults (or anyone in the aforementioned age range) wanting a good book to function as a stepping stone to the full Iliad. This is what I was looking for, in my own quest, for sure, as I'm working back up to The Iliad itself.
November 12, 2025
This was the book I was looking for a few years ago to familiarize myself with the story of the Iliad before I tried tackling it on my own. It wasn’t a mistake for me to just dive in on my own, but it also wouldn’t be a mistake to read this one first to familiarize yourself with the storyline and then be free to enjoy the epic more. Either way, this book was the right choice for my son this year and I can’t wait for him to move on to the Iliad!
September 9, 2023
A fast-paced and coherent retelling of the Iliad. I enjoyed reading it as part of the curriculum to teach my middle schooler literature and composition.
July 11, 2025
My son and I read this book together as part of AO's Year 6. Sutcliff writes a vivid retelling and even maintains the use of the Homeric simile. I couldn't find a copy of the illustrated edition, which we would have preferred, but this small pocket copy worked well for our purposes.
April 19, 2018
My six year old boy LOVED this book. LOVED. He couldn't get enough of it. He is still super excited about the heroes, and now in his Lego battles his men have names like Achilles and Odysseus.
That being said, he says, "The real Iliad is better, much much way way better. Like a million times better. But this one is still good." Now, I am not sure if he would like the real Iliad as much if we had read it first, but either way, don't stop at this one. Six year olds are perfectly capable of listening to (and tremendously enjoying) the Iliad.
In the recent months I have read my son the stories of King Arthur, Beowulf, this story of the Iliad, and now we are reading the story of the Odyssey. It occurs to me that these stories are PERFECT for boys of this age, boys 5-10. I remember how unexcited the guys in my junior high and high school classes were to read Beowulf and the Odyssey, and I find it sad that our education system "misses the window" on teaching these famous epics. Instead of being horrified about little boys' interest in war and violence, why not take advantage of the age and use it to propel their reading, vocabulary, and historical knowledge forward? Seeing how insanely excited my son is about King Arthur, Beowulf, Achilles, and Odysseus, it saddens me that most of his friends only know about Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, and Harry Potter.
*Schools that follow the Classical Curriculum, like Thales Academy, would teach these epics in elementary school, but most schools are Progressive, not Classical.
That being said, he says, "The real Iliad is better, much much way way better. Like a million times better. But this one is still good." Now, I am not sure if he would like the real Iliad as much if we had read it first, but either way, don't stop at this one. Six year olds are perfectly capable of listening to (and tremendously enjoying) the Iliad.
In the recent months I have read my son the stories of King Arthur, Beowulf, this story of the Iliad, and now we are reading the story of the Odyssey. It occurs to me that these stories are PERFECT for boys of this age, boys 5-10. I remember how unexcited the guys in my junior high and high school classes were to read Beowulf and the Odyssey, and I find it sad that our education system "misses the window" on teaching these famous epics. Instead of being horrified about little boys' interest in war and violence, why not take advantage of the age and use it to propel their reading, vocabulary, and historical knowledge forward? Seeing how insanely excited my son is about King Arthur, Beowulf, Achilles, and Odysseus, it saddens me that most of his friends only know about Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, and Harry Potter.
*Schools that follow the Classical Curriculum, like Thales Academy, would teach these epics in elementary school, but most schools are Progressive, not Classical.
June 16, 2021
Para mí, un libro espectacular. Me apasiona la historia clásica, tanto la Iliada como la Odisea, libros los cuales me encantaría leer. En este libro se narran las aventuras de Ulises en un mundo cruel del cual sale victorioso. Un libro que te enseña y te hace aprender sobre historia y mitología, un libro el cual me eriza la piel cada vez que lo leo ❤️
June 1, 2016
I hated every moment. This book was the worst book ive ever read. 0 stars.....
June 26, 2025
An excellent retelling of the Iliad.
September 18, 2024
Read alongside my two kids who are reading the Iliad this year. I like this retelling, it’s the best one I’ve read.
December 26, 2022
I remember being drawn into the story of the Iliad the first time it was read to me as a kid, via The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy. I was fascinated by the warrior Achilles who had only one weak point, devastated at the death of his friend Patroclus, and had mixed feelings about the death of Hector and what happened after. I'm guessing these things stick in my mind because this story was very different from the heavily moralized tales I'd had read to me before it. It was good to move beyond a simple "good guys vs. bad guys" dichotomy and instead have to think about the complexity of motivations, ethics, social roles, and beliefs about how supernatural beings affected humans (by pitting them against each other, apparently).
This edition has some really lovely illustrations by Alan Lee, and was a good way to get back into the story without having to read a thousand pages. Maybe one of the reasons the magic wasn't really there for me this time was because I'm reading it with different eyes now, paying more attention to the way women were primarily commodities to be traded and fought over, and the scale of destruction. Certainly worth learning about for its impact on history, but I decided there are too many gruesome details to read aloud to my 7- and 10-year-old right now. I'll read them an Usborne version this year and maybe when they're older they can read this on their own.
This edition has some really lovely illustrations by Alan Lee, and was a good way to get back into the story without having to read a thousand pages. Maybe one of the reasons the magic wasn't really there for me this time was because I'm reading it with different eyes now, paying more attention to the way women were primarily commodities to be traded and fought over, and the scale of destruction. Certainly worth learning about for its impact on history, but I decided there are too many gruesome details to read aloud to my 7- and 10-year-old right now. I'll read them an Usborne version this year and maybe when they're older they can read this on their own.
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