Myths of the World: An Illustrated Treasury of the World's Greatest Stories

by Tony Allan, Martin Shaw (Foreword)

This beautifully illustrated book offers the most readable collection of myths on the market, perfect for readers diving into the current popularity of folklore and mythology. Handpicked from various cultures and eras, this gorgeous gift edition takes you on a journey across the globe with over 240 enthralling myths.

In this beautifully illustrated gift edition, you’ll discover more than 240 mythological tales from around the world, featuring gods, heroes, princesses, villains, magicians and monsters, as well as animals with extraordinary powers. Let this collection guide you through stories from every corner of the globe, from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome through the Vikings to the Slavic East, Japan and China and the Americas. Each culture is rich in folklore and magical tales, and this book offers a fascinating introduction to them all.

This is a radical collection of stories, filled with voltage. Whether ninety or nine, there’s something in these tales that wants to speak directly to you. From tales of creation and the first humans to apocalyptic battles at the end of time, explore the most thrilling tales in all thunder god Thor losing his hammer, Theseus callously abandoning Ariadne after defeating the Minotaur, Hindu god Shiva destroying his rival Kama with a blast of flame, Egyptian goddess Isis forcing the sun god to reveal his name … and much more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology

300 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

About the author

After studying History at Oxford, Tony Allan worked for the British Broadcasting Company and as a magazine editor before turning to book publishing, including the Myth and Mankind series.

Reviews

[Sara Hodorowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but when the aesthetics of the page take precedence over the material, that’s a problem for me. Regardless of the depth of the story being relayed, it is pushed to one page. The illustrations have no bearing on the page they’re situated on. And honestly I was looking for more discussion of the concepts, not a simple shorthand version of a bunch of myths.

[Nyanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent book for readers interested in knowing what key words to research after reading the measly 200 words summary of famous epics.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent global compendium of myths. My one complaint is that the African continent and Oceanic regions are a bit sparser than the others, but this is still a solid introduction.

[Randal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts with a terrific short essay about whether myths are individual treasures of societies or universal stories connected by our shared oral traditions.

Then in order to package each myth into one page, it turns the stories into virtually indistinguishable copies of each other, retelling them in a dry, academic tone.

A vast compendium for someone wanting to have a desk reference to mythology instead of using the internet. But stultifying as a read. Serious fodder as a cure for insomnia.

[Mac Ferrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: Quetzal-colossal!

Myth lovers: You have found your home. With perfect succinct-icity (I’m branding that word), Allan presents these stories as inviting and important, with brilliant pictures to bring to life each.

I can also respect the structure — each culture is given the same amount of page time, which sets each set of myths of equally significant. This structure also helps bring light to more than just the most well-known Greek or perhaps Norse myths, and helped me learn about so many other cultures!

Whether you’re a big fan of myths or know little, this book is for you!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ‘round the world’ tour of various myths organized by location. More an annotated introduction to mythological characters than the actual stories - nevertheless enlightening.

[Michelle Scott Roark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting sample of myths from around the world. Amazing in their differences and even more so in their similarities.

[Lisa Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was enjoyable to relearn some of these myths.