Greek Myths: Ulysses and the Trojan War

by Anna Claybourne

Recounts the events described in the Iliad and the Odyssey, following the Greek army's seige on Troy and Ulysses' struggle to return home.

Genres: Mythology

159 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Freelance children’s writer and editor, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Anna Claybourne writes children's information books on all kinds of topics: science experiments, ancient history, the human body, things to make, the environment, robots, evolution, art, fashion, Shakespeare and many more - as well as retellings of myths, legends and Shakespeare plays, and rhyming stories.

She studied English literature at university, but has always been interested in science, technology and art and design as well. She loves making and crafting, especially sewing, and her house is full of fabrics, craft materials, tools and books. Other interests and passions include camping, cats, outdoor swimming, news and politics, and music - she plays the trombone and has played in many different bands and orchestras, including performing live on a John Peel session in 2002 with Scottish band Ballboy.

Anna was born and grew up in Yorkshire, but has also lived in Canada as a student, Iceland as an au pair, and Costa Rica as a conservation volunteer, where she saw tarantulas, tapirs, monkeys, sloths, crocodiles and giant katydids. She now lives in Edinburgh with her two children and two cats, Skye and Socks.

Reviews

[Christine Stobbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to Greek mythology for children. Although it is poorly written in places, it gets the ideas across without getting too gory. Includes a useful map and a "who's who" list in the back, which is helpful. Nicely illustrated and easy to read.

[Natalie McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: This book is a great way to read the Odyssey and the Iliad without having to read Old English. The main character for most of the book is Ulysses (Odysseus), the Greek king of Ithaca and a man who desperately tries to get home to see his wife after the Trojan War. After facing struggles with Poseidon, Calypso, and many other Greek entities, he is able to make it back to his home of Ithaca, where he finds his wife Penelope being fawned upon by many men due to his lengthy absence. He scares away the men and is able to resume his normal life as king.

Commentary and Comparison: The best part of this book was probably the beginning because it explained the original cause of the war. I love this book because literally everything in it is connected to one another and every single action affects everything. This book is similar to the Percy Jackson Ultimate guide because it has tons of information about Greek Mythology, but the Ultimate Guide is focused on the PJO series whereas this book is just a compilation of stories.

The author could improve the novel by making the font a little larger and not writing in columns as it is very difficult to read.

Favorite line: "For the fairest." I don't have the book with me because I am lending it to a friend but that is what the golden apple from Eris read.

This book is for anyone interested in Greek Mythology and doesn't want to read Old English!

[Deanna Sutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids absolutely ate this book up! They kept wanting me to read more every day. This book covers the Trojan War and Ulysses' (Odysseus) return home and his journeys along the way. After having just read the "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" myself I wanted to share the stories with the kids and this was the perfect book to do it. While some things are of course excluded because it's abridged the most improtant things are still included. I'm so glad I found this sitting on a friend's shelf collecting dust!

I believe this book is out of print. I'm sure you could find it on line though.

[Tristin Cummins]

This book is really cool it has cool pictures and I love Greek mythology I would read any books this author makes it is a really interesting book. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Greek mythology. I would rate this book 4/5 stars. It really got my attention too it when I saw the cover.

[Jessica Hymas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It was a great way to put the trojan war in a way for kids to read. I loved it. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.