In Search of the Trojan War

by Michael Wood

For thousands of years, we have been enthralled by tales of Troy and its heroes. Achilles and Hector, Paris and the famed beauty Helen remain some of the most enduring figures in art and literature. But, did these titanic characters really walk the earth? Was there ever an actual siege of Troy? In this extensively revised edition, historian Michael Wood takes account of the latest dramatic developments in the search for Troy. His wide-ranging study of the complex archaeological, literary and historical records has been brought up-to-date. Detailing the rediscovery in Moscow of the so-called jewels of Helen and the re-excavation of the site of Troy begun in 1988, which continues to yield new evidence about the historical city, "In Search of the Trojan War" takes a fresh look at some of the most excited discoveries in archaeology. "A dazzling and exhaustive analysis." - "Washington Post". "This beautifully illustrated book...vividly evokes themes that are central to our civilization's quest for its past." - "The New York Times Book Review".

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Archaeology, Greece, Mythology, Ancient

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Librarian Note: There's more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michael David Wood is an English historian & broadcaster. He's presented numerous tv documentary series. Library of Congress lists him as Michael Wood.

Wood was born in Moston, Manchester, & educated at Manchester Grammar School & Oriel College, Oxford. His special interest was Anglo-Saxon history. In the 70s Wood worked for the BBC in Manchester. He was 1st a reporter, then an assistant producer on current affairs programmes, before returning to his love of history with his 1981 series In Search of the Dark Ages for BBC2. This explored the lives of leaders of the period, including Boadicea, King Arthur, Offa, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, Eric Bloodaxe & William the Conquerer (& gave rise to his 1st book, based upon the series).

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

Spiralling down, discussing in turn the ongoing interest in Troy, the archaeologists who worked the site Schliemann, Dorpfeld, Blegen , their discoveries, the evidence from Homer, our understanding of the world of Mycenaean Greece, then the documents surviving from the Hittite a superpower of the Bronze Age Middle-Eastarchives, I felt as though a clear and final single answer was before us when the text turned, and like a bird on a thermal, rose and spiralled out to a world of wider possibilities, leaving us with a richer range of uncertainties.

No, I cannot type a short and technical review stating that Homer's Troy was Troy VII the site of Troy is not one city but a succession of cities built or rebuilt on top of each other, each distinguished by the archaeologists by Roman numerals as Dorpfeld held and relate it neatly and definitively to the world of Mycenaean Greece, whose 'kings' were dependant on raider-trading for the gold, copper, tin, and slaves to maintain their bean counting palace-economies. Instead Troy may have fallen several times, and multiple incidents of warfare may be remembered in the Iliad.

The search for the Trojan war in the end is not a search for the war, for the face that launched a thousand ships, rather the book discusses the many contexts of the stories. One of those is the science of archaeology and the interrelationship between facts and interpretations. Another the world of Dark Age Greece, looking back on the lost glories of an earlier age but also seeking to create an equivalence between its heroes and those of the past. The last years of the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean, troubled by long term drought, migrations, population collapses. The iterations of the Iliad, during the course of which perhaps over corrections have stripped out all but a couple of the Mycenaeanisms and simplified the windswept plain of Troy, and maybe it was only a poor mirror of a Trojan war in any case - Of the names in the Linear B tablets which are found in Homer, twenty of them (one third) are applied to Trojans: in other words Greek names have been invented for Trojan heroes, Hector among them. But two names may not fit with this...Priam's name looks like the Anatolian name Pariamu, found in Hittite texts, Alexanderos of Wilios does seem to have a connection with the Alaksandus of Wilusa named in Hittite tablets of the early thirteenth century, and his alternative name Paris is again very likely the Anatolian Pariya (p233).

Those Hittite tablets, mostly correspondence, look on the one hand to lay bare a historical reality, and yet on the other push it further away. If Illios was Wilusa, a client state of the Hittites, and if the Achaians of Homer were the Achaiwoi of the Hittites then it is hard to countenance a ten year war over Helen of Troy that wouldn't have ended not with a Trojan horse but with the rumble of hundreds of Hittite chariots.

This is an enjoyable book, but as with the issue of Goliath's armour the Canaanite's hero's armour has been said to be a description of Mycenaean armour - you can see for yourself -1 Samuel 17, I think it's a pretty desperate claim personally one that snatches at pieces of evidence. Any one of which is contestable, but taken together seductively promise plausibility. Did the Sea Peoples who plagued Egypt include rootless Mycenaean warriors, adrift after the systems collapse of their homeland? Does Helen's kiss in Marlowe's Doctor Faustus suck forth his soul? And yet the afterword reports that archaeologists have found a cache of Mycenaean burials including women, children, and one hero, in what was traditionally believed to be Achilles' tomb, on the edge of the plain before Troy.

I finished the book and laid myself down to sleep. In my mind I imagined the cult places of the holy river Scamander, sacred to the God Apollo, then still foreign and not yet a Greek god, some dark and secret place, whose cult objects still lie under discovered.

The search for the Trojan war is an Odyssey without end.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

That really was an excellent read. For the most part, it's extremely readable and for the opening 100 plus pages reads almost like a novel. It does get bogged down in the middle when Wood gets onto the translations of the Linear B tablets and the glories of bureaucratic admin in the 13th Century BC, but for the most part this book does a really good job of putting a case that The Illiad, and the legends of the Trojan War, are based upon an actual skirmish / siege and that Troy did actually exist and had a proud place with the bronze-age world.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

March 25, 11am ~~ Review asap.

March 25, 2pm ~~ Oh my, another wonderful book from Michael Wood. This was the 1998 updated version of his original 1985 volume. This one had an extra chapter added in order to discuss discoveries made since the time of the first book.

This was not quite as intimate as the book about Alexander The Great that I read just before starting this one, but it was also not your standard dry history text either. Wood explores so many topics that it was almost an immersion into the field of ancient history. And of course now I just HAVE to re-read The Iliad, but this time I will read the Lattimore translation, which is what Wood quoted here from time to time and was recommended to me a few years ago by my GR friend Cleo. It has been sitting quietly waiting for me to get to it but now it is calling me!

But that is coming up Soon. For now, this book was simply fascinating. In his 8 chapters from the original edition, Wood moves from The Search For Troy to following in the footsteps of Heinrich Schliemann and his destructive method of making discoveries. Then we explore the ancient world and learn about how and when the Greeks arrived; there is a chapter about Homer; another about Agamemnon, and yet another about the Hittite empire and how they might have interacted with the Greeks. Two more chapters bring us back to the present and Woods' conclusions at the time, then an epilogue with the newest information.

It was, as the front cover claims, "dazzling and exhaustive". There is a lot of information here but it was all very interesting, from the archeological details to the political review of the ancient days, how their systems worked, how the kings related to each other according to whatever status they each had and how this system would have and could have led to one king calling on others to give him ships and men for a war he wanted tp wage.

I got a kick out of the section about the Hittites, too. Wood shares snippets from some of the messages the Hittite king sent to other rulers. Not exactly all completely diplomatic, but at least he said what he felt. lol

I am very much looking forward to the next Michael Wood book on my list!

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Trojans and Achilles and the great ancient war always seemed to be just a myth, as first told by a blind poet. But Michael Wood brings the reality to life with the exhaustive research on the actual historical city of Troy, brought to ashes by the revengeful Greeks.

The author keeps the reader involved with descriptions of the archeological digs and even illustrating how the city of Troy was closer to the sea thousands of years ago. The Bronze Age comes to life here and even includes the re-discovery of the long-missing Hittite empire.

I rank this highly as an adventure for the armchair.


Book Season = Summer (age of heroes)

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

In dit boek doet Michael Wood uitgebreid verslag van de ingewikkelde archeologische, letterkundige en historische gegevens die de achtergrond vormen van het verhaal van Troje. Hij heeft alle belangrijke plaatsen bezocht en zijn onderzoek heeft hem gebracht tot een nieuwe conclusie over de legendarische stad zelf, de stad die naar zijn vaste overtuiging het Troje van Homeros is. In dit boek zijn niet alleen de ideeën opgenomen van geleerden en archeologen, maar ook een gedetailleerd verslag van de speurtocht naar de plek waar Troje ooit heeft gelegen.

Zeer informatief boek, misschien wat verouderd. Het wist in elk geval mijn aandacht vast te houden.

[James F · Rating 4 out of 5]

More on the Trojan War. . . This was written in conjunction with a PBS Television series, which probably influenced the way it was organized. It takes a historical approach, beginning with Heinrich Schliemann's excavation of Hissarlik, then going on to the excavations at Mycenae and the other Bronze Age sites in Greece, to the excavation of Knossos, and ultimately to the Linear B tablets and the Hittite archives. It was actually fairly interesting. The author's conclusions: the question is still open, but the Trojan War probably was an actual event, Hissarlik (specifically Troy VI) was probably Troy, and was probably sacked by the Greeks sometime around 1260 BCE; this may be connected with the dispute between Ahhiyawa and Hatti over Wilusa; and Troy VIIa was probably destroyed about 1180 BCE by the Sea Peoples.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd history book. Much of it is archeology and even literary analysis, complete with a lot of pictures and maps. I can think of few single volume books that discuss events from the Bronze Age to the 20th century, giving this book great sweep. While new evidence has come out since the book's 1986 publication, its argument that the Trojan War essentially did occur has held up. Homer has been vindicated. As for the book itself, it is a solid, if at times a dry read. The occasional exclamation point is, as with nearly all exclamation points, unwarranted. Yet, it works very well all the same.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago when it first came out. I have always been a big fan of Ancient Greece and Troy, and I studied Greek archaeology and art history in school. So, this book is right up my alley. Michael Wood goes through a lot of historical evidence and theory to tell the tale of the Trojan war, and whether it happened, and where and when it happened. I do tend to agree with his conclusions, even though he laces his conclusions with caveats. There is a lot of scholarship referenced here, and Wood is a good storyteller through it all.
I got to visit the site of Troy years ago, and I read this book before I went there. It was amazing to see the things I had just studied and read about. Seeing the bits left over of walls and structures and roads that may have been walked on by Hector, and attacked by Achilles. Wow. Of course, I have a picture of me looking out of the Trojan Horse, which I convinced way too many people that the archaeologists had recently unearthed. I know. Silly
Anyway, this book is a good one for an intro into the archeology and history of the time, and a good one even if you think you know it all already.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tied to the origins of modern tomb robbing archeology, the search is a great look at how we now examine our past and what's gone before. It's sad to think that Schliemann's initial work probably destroyed more than he discovered, but there have been some recent successful digs. The rise and fall of the Mycenae culture is interesting, some SF authors have used this period as a model for their societies (With the Lightnings) along with the Hittite and Sea People. There are some photos and illustrations along with a bibliography. Take a visit to Homer's wine-dark sea, it's a fun read.

[Nick Wellings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeply informative and entertaining. Wood's tone is brisk. Unsure if any of his conclusions are recognised or firm or if we can put credence in any of them, but Wood convinced me that Troy VI was 'Heroic' or mythic Troy. I knocked one star off because a timeline was absent and would have helped, and some more maps and diagrams (eg of the site, it's locale and conjectured extent, estimates of coastline etc) would have been nice. A fun read.

[Mark Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is heavily weighed down by conjecture, but incredibly endearing conjecture. Also, no matter how many guesses Wood makes, he always comes back to reality to point out how far the facts actually take us. Just an extraordinary look at the Greek Bronze Age, which makes me want to delve even deeper.

[Adam Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Trojan War holds a grip on the imagination like few other events in mythology. Part of the modern interest in the myth is due to the startling confirmation over the past century that Troy was a real place, located exactly where the legend puts it, with even minor details of topography from Homer's text backed up by archaeological evidence. This makes Troy a fascinating subject to discuss, but also a dangerous one: it's too easy to let the imagination run riot and conclude that perhaps the legend is a true story, that Agamemnon and Achilles were real people, and the survivors of Troy did go on to found Rome.

Back in the mid-1980s Michael Wood produced a TV documentary for the BBC based on the premise that the Trojan War was a real even that took place approximately in the 12th Century BC. This accompanying book and its later second and third editions expanded on the idea: Wood proposes that Troy was a client-state of the Hittite Empire that fell prey to a series of incursions into Asia Minor by the Greeks, at that time dominated by Mycenae. Mycenae was reaching the zenith of its power and in fact would soon face a rapid decline and collapse (plunging Greece into a more barbarous period which they would take some centuries to recover from). In one of its last expansions of power it tried to expand its empire into the Near East whilst the Hittites were distracted by clashes with the Egyptians, Assyrians and other neighbouring powers, and Troy was one of the cities destroyed in the process.

Wood outlines the 'discovery' of the site of Troy (a hill in Turkey a few miles from the Dardanelles called Hisarlik) by the early archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in the mid-19th Century and the work by Schliemann and others in uncovering the site and other notable contemporary locations, including Mycenae itself. Wood describes the problems associated with these digs, which tended to be rushed and even destructive ("Schliemann has left us with the ruin of a ruin," he laments at one point) before later, more careful archaeologists could work on the sites. Accompanied by lavish illustrations and numerous photographs of the site (some modern, some from Schliemann's time), Wood describes in clear detail the problems presented by the fact that Troy is divided into 'layers', with the city inhabited both before and after the time of the alleged Trojan War, and dating the war to the correct layer is problematic (both the sixth and seventh layers have been proposed as 'Homer's Troy', and both have issues fitting that conclusion).

After this, Wood expands the scope to incorporate the entire Eastern Mediterranean at the time of the 12th-13th centuries BC. This was a time of surprisingly frequent international relations: the Hittite, Egyptian and Assyrian rulers tended to correspond with one another directly (and, less frequently with their more distant Mycenaean neighbours) and trade flourished between their nations (with wars - even large ones - put down as minor and temporary disagreements, soon mended). Amusingly, there are even surviving tablets featuring the Hittite queen exchanging minor court gossip with King Ramses II, one of the greatest Egyptian pharaohs. Unfortunately, the record is frustratingly incomplete, and Greek-Hittite discussions over a troublesome matter in the west which resulted in military activity (a clash over the city of Wilusa, and notably the Greek of Homer's time doesn't use the 'W', meaning he would have called it 'Ilusa', which is close to 'Ilium') are particularly fragmented.

Wood describes the situation well, first exploring the archaeological unearthing of Troy and other important sites. He describes the work and research done that uncovered the Hittites, a mighty empire of the ancient world that had fallen so completely that evidence of its existence was only uncovered a century ago, and how they provided a 'missing link' that explained the balance of power of the time. Sites contemporaneous with Troy are explored and shared pottery remnants and tablets written in the same languages are used to trace a network of trade and political relations between cities and nations. Pottery and pictures of the time depicting siege engines as stylised giant wooden horses smashing down city walls provide clues as to the origin of the Trojan Horse legend. But every time a conclusion seems to drift into view, it's frustratingly snatched away by a gap in the records.

Woods' solution to this is to present 'scenarios' which he acknowledges are highly speculative but nevertheless credible. The problem is a lack of specific mentions or references to Troy in the historical record of the time. Wood suggests that the evidence supports a more widespread incursion into Asia Minor by the Greeks, with Troy as a minor sideshow at best, and this is supported by strong evidence that the Greeks had an enclave on the shores of south-western Anatolia around the city of Miletus. However, the evidence that the Greeks launched attacks in north-western Asia Minor is much more limited.

This is the book's greatest weakness: whilst discoveries at Troy, Mycenae, Knossos and in the old Hittite ruins have resulted in some spectacular revelations over the last century, and expose a fascinating and more complex world than Homer suggests, they also stop short of giving us enough data to draw solid conclusions about the Trojan War. Wood seems to reluctantly agree with this in the final assessment: that having gone in search of the Trojan War, he can only prove that it could have happened, but no more than that. But the uncertainty allows for the myth of the Trojan War to yet live on, awaiting more archaeological discoveries to illuminate the time.

In Search of the Trojan War (****) is a well-researched book that succinctly (in less than 300 pages) provides an overview of the archaeological history of the region and allows Wood to present the evidence for his broad conclusions about the period. Occasionally he gets drawn a little too far down the path of 'speculative' musings rather than sticking strictly with the evidence, but these musings are well-signposted in advance.

[Dave Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good summary of what we know. it feels like its out of date but there hasnt been any excavations since the Korfmann excavations which are covered in the postscript. just be sure to get the 1996 edition.
Very exciting stuff. there is a lot more evidence for the historicity of the Trojan war than you would think.

[Matt McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Well researched. Orderly chronology that helps the reader understand a thousand years of history without being overwhelmed.

I wish it was updated again ( last done in 1995). with new archeological finds that further the development of Greek epic history

[Hanna (lapetiteboleyn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, intelligent and thought-provoking. A definite must for anyone interested in the Trojan War or the two thousand-year search for Troy.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated, but that's not a problem for the casual reader; a more significant problem is the amount of conjecture. Woods did rather go off on the deep end about the Hittites and the Sea People. Still, an excellent read, conveying both the grand sweep of history and the successes and failures in determining it. Lovely evocative photos.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Trojan War occupies an odd place in the west’s cultural memory, part history and part myth. For centuries, scholars have considering questions such as whether the war actually happen, if Troy was a real place, the characters of The Iliad actually based on real people, and how accurate are Homer’s accounts? Michael Wood sets out the evidence in In Search of the Trojan War, exploring the linguistic and archaeological evidence for the Trojan War.

The first thing to say is that In Search of the Trojan War was originally published in the 1980s as part of a tie-in for a documentary and although the more recent editions have been updated to reflect the new archaeological work, most of the “update” exists in a postscript, rather than being interwoven into the text. I did find myself wondering at times if watching the documentary would be more fulfilling, too – if the information contained in the book was more easily digestible with the benefit of visuals and audio. Although I see from some reviews here that earlier editions were lavishly illustrated, this most recent edition has zero photographs or illustrations. I kept thinking, “oh it’d be nice if there was a photo of the palace at Knossos or the so-called Jewels of Helen or the ruins of Troy and Mycenae” – well, there were except the publisher was too cheap when they reissued the book to include them.

My problem with In Search of The Trojan War was that it was very uneven. Parts of the book were fascinating, such as the discussion of archaeological digs and discoveries, and other parts… not so much, being heavy on detail, and my concentration went out the door. Wood clearly does know a lot and draws a lot of links, some more tenuous than others, that suggests there was something of a Trojan War but how close it was to the Trojan War of legend remains unknown. But I did want more of a narrative or something more easy for a lay person to “get” – which is why I wonder if the documentary worked better.

I also appreciated that Wood, while being fairly critical of Heinrich Schliemann and his “discoveries”, pointed out that his methods weren’t that bad considering the era he was working in – it’s always easy to bemoan the methods of past archaeology and conservation while forgetting the constraints of the time when they living in and enjoying the benefit of hindsight.

In short, I think this is a decent overview of the history of the search for the Trojan War but parts were a lot more engaging that others.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like his In the Footsteps of Alexander, this book, a combination of archaeological history and history of legend, was written to accompany a television documentary. Like it, both book and documentary are complementary and well-worth watching. Even if one already knows the material Wood discusses, the imagery in both the book and the series is worthy of attention.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first glance, Michael Wood's "In Search of the Trojan War" looks like it could be a shallow retelling of the story of the Trojan War. (It is the companion book to a TV documentary series, which Wood also hosted.) In fact, Wood is an excellent writer who has brought together all the evidence from archaeology, literary sources, and comparative studies to paint a compelling picture of when and how the Trojan War might have taken place.

Though he uses nary a footnote, Wood has clearly read all the primary sources and scholarly literature on the subject. He made me excited to read, for example, Heinrich Schliemann's own published accounts of his digs at Troy and Mycenae. Throughout the book he presents various scholars' opinions and arguments. An annotated bibliography at the end enables the reader to follow up whichever strands are of most interest. And then at the end of the book, Wood synthesizes all the information to present his own surprisingly specific speculation about the timing and causes of the Trojan War.

The book includes numerous maps and illustrations, though I wished more of these were in color rather than black-and-white. Wood seems to have written the main body of text in the mid-1980s, but an epilogue to the second edition (which I read) brings the research up to date for 1996.

After reading "In Search of the Trojan War," I feel I have a much better grasp on the Mycenaean Greeks and the Mediterranean world they lived in. I am eager both to watch Wood's documentary series, which is available on YouTube, and to read some of his other historical books on topics like England, Alexander the Great, and India.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life deals out its cards skew whiff. Some people struggle, burdened with debts personal and afflictions public. Others get given the full house. Witness: Michael Wood. Not only was he blessed with the sorts of looks that historians, historically, were denied - compare him to Eric Hobsbawn for example - but Wood was also gifted the ability to write with a clarity and enthusiasm that matched his on-screen persona. In Search of the Trojan War is a good example: a scholarly account of the archaeological history of the search for Troy good enough, in its grasp of the sources, to stand comparison with the best specialist work, but Wood also writes it in a way that makes the technicalities accessible to the layman. But then of course, good Hector, prince of Troy and all round decent bloke, also realised, as he coughed out his life's blood on the plains of Ilium with that peacock psychopath Achilles strutting victory above him, that life doesn't play fair. Take advanatage of that: read this book.

[Marfita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was meatier than the usual companion book to a tv series. It's not Wood's specialty, but he looks carefully into the archaeology, the personalities, and the legend. He seems to be convinced Hisarlik is Troy and the war actually happened. The Iliad is one of my favorite classics and yet I'm a bit doubtful that any group of "kings" could leave their territories for ten whole years just to lay siege to one city, for any reason, much less for someone absconding with someone's wife. Who's running the farm while they're away?
And my favorite part is the catalog of the ships. I have a spreadsheet I made of all the similes and a list of "50 Ways to Kill an Achaian."
So what new thing did I learn from this? That the Mycenaean W vanished from the poem. Its traces are detectable because its absence messes with the meter - according to Wikipedia. Ooo, way cool!

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite (or perhaps because of) being written by a non-expert, this is definitely the best book on the Trojan War out there. Wood is willing to do a little speculation in order to provide a possible picture of this historical event, rather than simply offering up all the tidbits of evidence and leaving it to the reader to make sense of it all. Archaeologists seem to have a knack for seeing buildings in a pile of rocks, but they are pretty bad at helping non-archaeologists to see those buildings too.

You should definitely watch the old documentary in conjunction with reading this book.

[Bill Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Although this is a book which will be of interest mainly to people interested in this specific topic and era of history, it is a fascinating read which gives great insight into Mycenaean Greece and the neighbouring empires of the time. It is easy to read and I personally found it engrossing.

[María Luisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Wood brings the myth to life. Reading this book is a pleasure. He explains how were the excavations not only in Troy, but in Mycenae and other mycenaean sites, with an interesting point of view, because he refers to the archaeological sites and the myths, but also to Hittite and Egyptian historical sources, and it brings an exceptional view of the real Troy, and of the maybe more famous war in our History. I strongly recommend this book!

[James Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime presentation from the master tv historian made this great tv. An archeological cliffhanger. The book fills this with nuanced reasoning and insightful reflections and is just as entertaining. Excellent historical reasoning from the site's plunder, the archives, and the Homeric legacy.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful companion to the documentary series I've watched several times. Makes for great material to flip through.

[Inés Chamarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A revised edition of the 80's book about the archaeological search for Troy. A good introduction to the subject.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, but it needs updating to include new archeological findings.

[モーリー · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re really into the minutiae or archaeologists’ lives and personalities, this is a good source. I’m not so much interested in that...

[Derek Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and in depth look into the historicity of the Trojan War. If you have any interest in archaeology, Bronze Age Aegean or the bridging of fact and myth this book is recommended.