(Paperback, New edition)

Cyrus the Great created the first Persian Empire in the 500s BCE. He conquered all major civilizations in his region and his influence reached from the Balkans in the West to the Indus river in the East. Latest title in the new series created for the modern reader to introduce the heroes, cultures, myths and religions of former times.

(Paperback, New edition)

This new book of classic tales brings the stories of the ancients to life, from the birth of creation by the sun god Ra, the murder of Osiris, and the revenge of Horus, to the underworld and afterlife. The Egyptians explained the effects of famine, harvest, floods and death by creating a pantheon of gods that still holds our fascination today.

(Paperback, New edition)

The perfect companion to Beowulf, Gawain is a treasure of medieval literature, brought to life in the 2021 movie "Green Knight" starring Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander and Joel Edgerton. An Arthurian legend of note it revels in its Celtic origins, playing with the mysteries of chivalric romance, the warrior hero and the deeper truths of eternal life.

(Paperback, New edition)

Here we find humankind battling with the elements in the flood myth, a grim creation story and the great Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest recorded literary treasures. Babylon, a powerful city state in 1800 BC was a centre of spiritual, economic and military power, each represented in the fragments and myths of this book of classic tales.

(Paperback, New edition)

From the myths it shares with Ireland, to its own evocative fairy tales featuring all manner of spirits, shapeshifters, monsters and ghosts; from benevolent fairies ('The Brownie') to tales of unrequited love, murder and rescue ('A Legend of Invershin'), Scottish folklore is presented here in a uniquely Caledonian collection of stories.

(Paperback, New edition)

With a new introduction this powerful collection gathers together classic tales of the proud, poetic South Slavs, such as 'He Who Asks Little Receives Much', 'The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar, 'The Biter Bit', 'Good Deeds Never Perish' 'The Three Suitors' and 'The Ram With the Golden Fleece'.

(Paperback, New edition)

An epic poem probably written in the 900s CE, Beowulf tells of events 600 years before, where the hero Beowulf is implored to assist the King of the Danes in defending his halls against the monster Grendel. Latest title in the new series created for the modern reader to introduce the heroes, cultures, myths and religions of former times.

(Paperback)

Nordic tales take the magic of the natural world and combine it with the common sense of the everyday. Good folk are rewarded for their hard work, the honest and the faithful are valued: 'The Little Match Girl' and 'Katie Woodencloak' (a Norwegian Cinderella) are some of the heartwarming stories in this new selection for the modern reader.

(Paperback, New edition)

Packed with delightful tales of love affairs and broken hearts, misadventures and wise-cracking creatures, the everyday stories of Korea bring the warmth of the familiar with a twist of the unusual. Magistrates, woodmen and princes, moles, frogs and fairies abound in this delightful collection, organized by theme.