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The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy
Archaeologist? Mythmaker? Crook? This engaging, illustrated biography of Heinrich Schliemann — a nineteenth-century romantic who most believe did find the ancient city of Troy — reveals him to be a fascinating mixture of all three.
From the time Heinrich Schliemann was a boy — or so he said — he knew he was destined to dig for lost cities and find buried treasure. And if Schliemann had his way, history books would honor him to this day as one of the greatest archaeologists who ever lived. But a little digging into the life of Schliemann himself reveals that this nineteenth-century self-made man had a funny habit of taking liberties with the truth. Like the famous character of his hero, the poet Homer, Schliemann was a crafty fellow and an inventor of stories, a traveler who had been shipwrecked and stranded and somehow survived. And Heinrich Schliemann was determined to become a legend like Homer — but in his own time.
Following this larger-than-life character from his poor childhood in Germany to his achievement of wealth as a merchant in Russia, from his first haphazard dig for the city of Ilium to his final years living in a pseudo "Palace of Troy," this engrossing tale paints a portrait of contradictions — a man at once stingy and lavishly generous, a scholar both shrewd and reckless, a speaker of twenty-two languages and a health fanatic addicted to cold sea baths. Laura Amy Schlitz weaves historical facts among Schliemann’s fanciful recollections, while Robert Byrd’s illustrations evoke his life and times in wonderful detail. Along the way, The Hero Schliemann gives young readers food for discussion about how history sometimes comes to be written — and how it sometimes needs to be changed.
Back matter includes source notes and a bibliography.
From the time Heinrich Schliemann was a boy — or so he said — he knew he was destined to dig for lost cities and find buried treasure. And if Schliemann had his way, history books would honor him to this day as one of the greatest archaeologists who ever lived. But a little digging into the life of Schliemann himself reveals that this nineteenth-century self-made man had a funny habit of taking liberties with the truth. Like the famous character of his hero, the poet Homer, Schliemann was a crafty fellow and an inventor of stories, a traveler who had been shipwrecked and stranded and somehow survived. And Heinrich Schliemann was determined to become a legend like Homer — but in his own time.
Following this larger-than-life character from his poor childhood in Germany to his achievement of wealth as a merchant in Russia, from his first haphazard dig for the city of Ilium to his final years living in a pseudo "Palace of Troy," this engrossing tale paints a portrait of contradictions — a man at once stingy and lavishly generous, a scholar both shrewd and reckless, a speaker of twenty-two languages and a health fanatic addicted to cold sea baths. Laura Amy Schlitz weaves historical facts among Schliemann’s fanciful recollections, while Robert Byrd’s illustrations evoke his life and times in wonderful detail. Along the way, The Hero Schliemann gives young readers food for discussion about how history sometimes comes to be written — and how it sometimes needs to be changed.
Back matter includes source notes and a bibliography.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2006
6 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Laura Amy Schlitz
20 books520 followersLaura Amy Schlitz is an American author of children's literature. She is a librarian and storyteller at The Park School in Brooklandville, Maryland.
She received the 2008 Newbery Medal for her children's book entitled Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,[1] and the 2013 Newbery Honor for her children's book, Splendors and Glooms.[2] She also won the 2016 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 National Jewish Book Award, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award for her young adult book, The Hired Girl. Her other published books are The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy (2006), A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama (2006), which won a Cybils Award that year, The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm (2007), The Night Fairy (2010).
Schlitz attended Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, and graduated in 1977.
She received the 2008 Newbery Medal for her children's book entitled Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,[1] and the 2013 Newbery Honor for her children's book, Splendors and Glooms.[2] She also won the 2016 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 National Jewish Book Award, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award for her young adult book, The Hired Girl. Her other published books are The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy (2006), A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama (2006), which won a Cybils Award that year, The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm (2007), The Night Fairy (2010).
Schlitz attended Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, and graduated in 1977.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 29, 2011
A children's textbook about the man who claimed to have found Troy and the science of archeology. It starts out as a normal children's book, and you get the distinct impression *cough* that the author doesn't have a high opinion of Schliemann; as in she starts out saying he was a massive lier and proceeds to pock holes into him at every opportunity. However, the author does this with a sort of perverse tongue in cheek cynicism that is kind of fun, and involves you in his story. What Schlitz does a very good job of, however, is after getting students interested in the man, she begins introducing them to the development of the science of archeology in a mildly amusing and accessible way. The book teaches some of the history of Ancient Greece, the history of Homer's texts (with time-lines showing its evolution), the history of how we understood those texts over time, the history of Schliemann (with a fabulous map showing that he was in fact a world traveler), etc. In fact, the more I read this book the more impressed I became. She explains why archaeologists shudder slightly at the memory of Schliemann, and mentions Lord Elgin's 'theft' of the Parthenon's marbles, as well as discussing the evolution of how we talk about time and why we talk about it that way (iron age, bronze age, BC vs BCE, etc).
In short, the book starts out as a silly kids book aimed at maybe a 5th grader, but by the end, I had learned more about the topic than I had known to start with (and I have a PhD in anthropology -- albeit cultural).
In short, the book starts out as a silly kids book aimed at maybe a 5th grader, but by the end, I had learned more about the topic than I had known to start with (and I have a PhD in anthropology -- albeit cultural).
December 7, 2022
Although this book is definitely geared towards a younger audience, I still greatly enjoyed the information and story. The writing style was a little more juvenile, but it almost felt more as if a read-aloud storybook than anything else. I for one found this enjoyable
July 16, 2015
Heinrich Schliemann was a treasure-seeker out to make his own myth. Author Laura Amy Schlitz, a librarian and professional storyteller, says:
“When I began researching Schliemann’s life, I thought, What a story! And it was all true. Then I read more and discovered that some of it wasn’t true. My romantic hero was a mythmaker and a liar. At that point, I was really hooked . . .”
This book lays out such a fascinating life story that at times one wonders why Heinrich Schliemann didn’t just tell the truth. He rose from grinding poverty with little family support, and survived a harrowing shipwreck. As a penniless young man alone in Amsterdam, he taught himself to speak Dutch well enough to be an errand boy, then went on to learn French, English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Later on, he learned Russian so well that he became a wealthy St. Petersburg merchant, and then went to California at the height of the Gold Rush and opened a bank trading in gold dust (quite profitable). Back in Russia, he kept making money and went on to learn seven more languages including, most importantly, Ancient Greek.
That last language is the starting place for the most famous and controversial chapter in Schliemann’s life. He had certainly lied before, but mostly in trivial matters. When Heinrich Schliemann decided to find the lost city of Troy, believed by many to be merely a myth, he wove a tapestry that blended truth and lies so adeptly that even now scholars have trouble unraveling it. He also did future historians a great disservice, because in excavating with a particular idea in mind, forging records, and mixing the artifacts found at Troy with artifacts from other sites, he ruined the best chance to find out what Troy, really several ancient cities piled atop each other, was really like. Despite the harm he did, Heinrich Schliemann advanced the field of archaeology and made many amazing discoveries. If you’re looking for a complex character who does not fit easily into the role of hero or villain, this is your book.
“When I began researching Schliemann’s life, I thought, What a story! And it was all true. Then I read more and discovered that some of it wasn’t true. My romantic hero was a mythmaker and a liar. At that point, I was really hooked . . .”
This book lays out such a fascinating life story that at times one wonders why Heinrich Schliemann didn’t just tell the truth. He rose from grinding poverty with little family support, and survived a harrowing shipwreck. As a penniless young man alone in Amsterdam, he taught himself to speak Dutch well enough to be an errand boy, then went on to learn French, English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Later on, he learned Russian so well that he became a wealthy St. Petersburg merchant, and then went to California at the height of the Gold Rush and opened a bank trading in gold dust (quite profitable). Back in Russia, he kept making money and went on to learn seven more languages including, most importantly, Ancient Greek.
That last language is the starting place for the most famous and controversial chapter in Schliemann’s life. He had certainly lied before, but mostly in trivial matters. When Heinrich Schliemann decided to find the lost city of Troy, believed by many to be merely a myth, he wove a tapestry that blended truth and lies so adeptly that even now scholars have trouble unraveling it. He also did future historians a great disservice, because in excavating with a particular idea in mind, forging records, and mixing the artifacts found at Troy with artifacts from other sites, he ruined the best chance to find out what Troy, really several ancient cities piled atop each other, was really like. Despite the harm he did, Heinrich Schliemann advanced the field of archaeology and made many amazing discoveries. If you’re looking for a complex character who does not fit easily into the role of hero or villain, this is your book.
July 12, 2010
Fascinating introduction to a very odd but historically important person--not your usual hero, but I think that's good for kids to see, that "heroes" can be flawed, make mistakes--even huge ones! Left me with lots of questions, with some funny gaps in details. Like: where did Schliemann build his "Palace of Troy" mansion*? But a biography for younger readers can only include so much. Love her analogy of ancient ruins as a big pile of laundry--apt and accessible for the intended audience. Anyway, great fun.
I looked it up--In Athens, after his death the Supreme Court, now the Numismatic Museum.
I looked it up--In Athens, after his death the Supreme Court, now the Numismatic Museum.
February 13, 2017
I love the way Schlitz told the story of Heinrich Schliemann!
She told the truth about his dishonesty and did an excellent job of portraying him as the mixture of pompous millionaire and dedicated, passionate scholar that he was. I would have given this text a Newbery, as her writing style is delightful. I can't wait for her next book!
She told the truth about his dishonesty and did an excellent job of portraying him as the mixture of pompous millionaire and dedicated, passionate scholar that he was. I would have given this text a Newbery, as her writing style is delightful. I can't wait for her next book!
August 16, 2011
Heinrich Schliemann is a controversial figure. Yes, he helped prove that the Odyssey and Iliad were based on fact, but he also destroyed thousands of years of the archaeological record of Troy by digging through its ruins. This book is a nice Junior level biography, showing both the good and the bad about the man. A must for any Grade 4 to 6 student studying Troy.
June 15, 2016
This was a great biography! I found it intriguing and interesting, a story of a pretentious and grating but successful adventurer. I love archaeology and this is a great tale of one of the famous minds behind the science.
I am in search of a good non-fiction (novel-style/length) for a read aloud this coming year, and this might come close.
I am in search of a good non-fiction (novel-style/length) for a read aloud this coming year, and this might come close.
September 18, 2015
I wish the illustrations were better and more abundant. Many are too small and there is no sense of grandeur. The story is interesting, but the concurrent telling of the false and true sides of things does not make for such an engaging read. There is too much interruption.
January 3, 2012
I think I read this. It was with my mother and I think it was in Spanish.
October 16, 2013
What a fascinating man. He sure gives a great case for why honesty is important if you are gonna try and make history.
May 6, 2014
a quick read, entertaining.I'm inspired to read more in depth coverage of the man
November 21, 2014
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I knew nothing about this story, and I found myself fascinated.
May 10, 2022
I was prepared for this book to be about how "awesome" Schliemann was and all the wonderful things he did for archaeology, but I was pleasantly surprised! Laura Amy Schlitz did a superb job writing about Schliemann's life and pursuit of grandeur, and I loved that she started right off by stating how big of a liar he was:
"His last name was Schliemann, and in the center of that German name is the English word lie. Perhaps now is as good a time as any to consider the subject of lying, because the boy Heinrich did not grow up to be a truthful man. Few people are entirely honest. Many people lie once in a while. Heinrich Schliemann lied more often than that."
The writing was engaging, humorous, and informative. Schliemann was an awful archaeologist ("He wacked away at the mound as if it were a pinata."), but he was ridiculously lucky. Anyone interested in archaeology and ancient history would enjoy this book.
"His last name was Schliemann, and in the center of that German name is the English word lie. Perhaps now is as good a time as any to consider the subject of lying, because the boy Heinrich did not grow up to be a truthful man. Few people are entirely honest. Many people lie once in a while. Heinrich Schliemann lied more often than that."
The writing was engaging, humorous, and informative. Schliemann was an awful archaeologist ("He wacked away at the mound as if it were a pinata."), but he was ridiculously lucky. Anyone interested in archaeology and ancient history would enjoy this book.
April 12, 2020
There is so much to learn in life! I had seen the name Schliemann and only knew he was famous for finding historic Greek cities. I did not know which ones or when he did it, no background information. So when I saw that this children's book of his life was short and well reviewed, I borrowed this electronic edition.
What I got was a story of Schliemann, who lied about his work to make himself look famous. He was shown as, a person who did the best he could without knowing how to properly accomplish his task. But as a man who pursued finding what he "knew was possible", the City of Troy..
What I missed in this non-fiction for children (because it was short enough for a child to tackle) was context. In other words, I missed getting behind what he did. I did not get to know or understand his personality.
What I got was a story of Schliemann, who lied about his work to make himself look famous. He was shown as, a person who did the best he could without knowing how to properly accomplish his task. But as a man who pursued finding what he "knew was possible", the City of Troy..
What I missed in this non-fiction for children (because it was short enough for a child to tackle) was context. In other words, I missed getting behind what he did. I did not get to know or understand his personality.
March 13, 2021
A delightful middle-grade biography of the biggest liar, thief and story teller you'll ever meet. The self-promoting grocer-turned archaeologist might even make Trump blush, that's how shameless he was. He bulldozed right through the Homeric city of Troy, destroying the better part of it before lighting upon a much earlier civilization that he declared to be the real thing. He took credit for other's ideas and discoveries, and he smuggled all the treasure he found out of Turkey and hid it in his in-laws' barn. Imagine the horror of being his children: of course he named them Agamemnon and Andromache, poor things.
December 25, 2019
I originally read a selection of this book in the StudySync textbook for sixth graders. When I found the full text, I was excited to say the least.
Heinrich Schliemann is known for discovering the lost city of Troy, but his amateur archaeological methods leave much to be desired in the academic world. He jumps to conclusions, exaggerates stories, and smuggles artifacts. He is certainly a little more Hans Solo than Indiana Jones.
Regardless, his enthusiasm and optimism helped him discover so many things and sites that others wrote off as fiction.
Interesting read.
Heinrich Schliemann is known for discovering the lost city of Troy, but his amateur archaeological methods leave much to be desired in the academic world. He jumps to conclusions, exaggerates stories, and smuggles artifacts. He is certainly a little more Hans Solo than Indiana Jones.
Regardless, his enthusiasm and optimism helped him discover so many things and sites that others wrote off as fiction.
Interesting read.
September 28, 2022
After reading his autobiography with all of the scientific facts bout finding Troy, this book is misleading in my opinion. The way the author is pressuring on the fact that Schliemann destroyed more than he actually found intrigues you to actually believe that Schliemann was more of an imposter. He was obsessed with Troy from his childhood, of course, he wasn't the best digger or archeologist but he had a dream and he accomplished it more than others.
October 20, 2022
A worthy middle-school level biography of a German archeologist who was the equivalent of a lying scheming bull in a china shoppe. The author provides helpful notes and references at the end. A very competent introduction to the interest, but also the chicanery and deceit which often impermeated these great European "discoveries". This book will keep any curious preteen occupied for a while!
November 26, 2021
It was well-written for those not very knowledgeable in archeology. I enjoyed the analogies used to emphasize the importance of following proper procedures during a dig. The book did a very good job at portraying both sides of Schliemann: dishonest & passionate.
June 14, 2025
This was a well researched children's book on the life and findings of Heinrich Schliemann. I appreciated the author's balanced view and openness about what we know to be true, what we know to be made up by Schliemann, and what we are unsure of.
February 20, 2020
It’s a book for kids/teens, so very short, but informative and accessible. I’d love to read more about these super cool (although also kinda disastrous) digs and finds. Adventure, go!
February 2, 2022
Interesting choice of subject for a middle-grade biography. Good job though, especially of showing the man's good points and his warts, and boy did he have a lot of warts.
October 11, 2022
Not. Dry flattering to the subject.
April 6, 2023
A captivating short biography about the poor boy turned millionaire turned archeologist who discovered where the ruins of Troy are, and unearthed 2 other sites that shed light on the Bronze age. He's depicted very human, with flaws and strengths.
We read the stories of Troy and Ulysses for literature. This biography was an afternoon read-aloud. It kept the kids engaged and they caught loads of references made.
We read the stories of Troy and Ulysses for literature. This biography was an afternoon read-aloud. It kept the kids engaged and they caught loads of references made.
August 15, 2015
Terrific. Entertaining as well as enlightening.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews