(Paperback, New edition)

Achilles has become a symbol of the flawed heroism which has found its echo in the mythologized history of Antiquity, to the epic figures of speculative and popular fiction today. This Life of Achilles is dominated by the Trojan Wars, where the clash of empires, romance and bloody war reflected the role of humankind as playthings of the gods.

(Paperback, New edition)

Alexander the Great died in 336 BCE at just thirty two. His military campaigns had swept across Ancient Greece, Asia Minor, Arabia, Persia, Egypt and India, forging one of the largest empires in recorded history. Latest title in a new series created for the modern reader to introduce the heroes, civilizations, myths and religions of former times.

(Paperback, New edition)

Joining the lively collections of folktales from East, West and Southern Africa are selected tales here from Central Africa. Modern national boundaries complicate the origins of the stories still told in the DRC, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and more but many can be traced back to the Sao civilization of the 6th Century BCE.

(Paperback, New edition)

A new introduction highlights the exquisite stories within this collection of classic Chinese folk and fairy tales, including 'The King of the Ants', 'The Ghost Who Was Foiled', 'A Night on the Battlefield', 'The Lady of the Moon' and 'The Flower Elves'. Stories of gods, heroes and creatures vie with the curious, poetic delights of ancient China.

(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)

With a fresh introduction this new collection will acquaint you with classic tales such as 'The Three Roses' and 'The Witch and the Horseshoes'. The lively stories of the Czech people are parables and moral fables rich with satire they cling to the hope that all will come well in the end, that justice will be well served by truth.

(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)

Hungarian culture shares elements from West and East, with a rich tradition of folk beliefs and folktales that have been passed down through the generations. This delightful collection gathers together tales of fairy folk, adventure and adversity, fables and lessons, magical creatures and transformations.

(Paperback)

Icelandic folktales are strong moral fables, and the close cousins of other Scandinavian origin fairy stories. They are a little darker in their tone, but share many of the same themes of innocence and trickery, triumph of good sense over pride, and the resilience of the strong heroine in the rescue of a feeble prince. A delightful collection.

(Paperback, New edition)

With a new introduction, this fascinating classic review of Jeanne dArcs life, the pious girl from Domrmy, presents an accessible biography, thoroughly grounded in original sources and truly engaging.

(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)

The Polynesian triangle covers Easter Island, Hawaii, New Zealand and the many isles in between. The legends of the region are based on the creation of land, fish, sea, valleys and the volcanic outcrops scattered across the long stretches of the Pacific. The beautiful myths of the ancient Polynesians are brought together in this new collection.

(Paperback, New edition)

Cleopatra was born of an ancient Greek Dynasty that stretched back to the time of Alexander the Great, and as the last Pharoah of Egypt she was the last ruler before the once mighty kingdom became a vassal state under of the Roman Empire of the first century BCE. She was an astute leader and sometime lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony.

(Paperback, New edition)

The greatest of all Pharaohs, Ramses reigned at the height of Ancient Egypt's power. He led military campaigns with his father from a young age, married at 15, amassed over 200 wives, 150 children and lived to the age of 95. Through many battles each victory brought wealth which fuelled the vast building of monuments which are still admired today.

(Paperback)

Here you'll find stories and fears of the everyday, often poking fun at those in authority, and laughing at the proud and haughty including, The Dead Mans Letter, The Enchanted Rose Tree, The Munificence Of Prince Borghese, The Wooing Of Cassandro, The Beggar And The Chick-Pea, The Dark King, The Old Miser and Why Cats And Dogs Always Quarrel!

(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)

A new collection of tales from the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe, from the Polish to the Macedonians, the Czechs and the Serbians, with roots in pagan folklore, and influenced by the Viking traders who settled in Kiev in the mid-ninth century. Stories include 'The King of the Toads', 'Vassilissa the Cunning' and 'The Tsar of the Sea'.

(Paperback, New edition)

Southern Africa is a region of impressive diversity of landscape, climate and peoples. From peoples such as the Zulu, Pedi, Venda and San, from Angola and Botswana to South Africa, this lively collection contains tales from across the region, of creation and origins, of trickster animals, and of hardship, greed andlove.

(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, New edition)

An enduring, classic, medieval tale of doomed romance with echoes of the love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and Lancelot. Tristan is sent from Cornwall to bring Isolde, an Irish Princess, to marry King Mark, but a love potion is taken, by mistake or otherwise, so passion and tragedy ensue in a tale that lives on today.

(Paperback)

Turkish folk tales are curious and bizarre, beautiful and delightful, combining elements of ancient Anatolian folklore with Slavonic, Scandinavian and Arabian influences. This wonderful collection contains stories ranging from 'How the Devil lost his Wager' and 'Paradise Sold by the Yard' to 'The Horse-Devil and the Witch' and 'The Cinder-Youth'.

(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)

This latest addition to our successful series offers a new selection of myths, featuring Arthurs knights of the round table, his love for Queen Guinevere and, of course, the ultimate betrayal by his friend, and most trusted knight, Sir Launcelot. All awaken the magical and exciting world of King Arthur.