Books about Troy
Books About Troy and the Trojan War
In Search of the Trojan War by Michael Wood. The history and archaeology of Troy. This is the companion book to the BBC documentary series.
Celebrating Homer's Landscapes: Troy and Ithaca Revisited by John Victor Luce uses photographs to demonstrate that Homer's descriptions of the land around Troy were accurate.
The Trojan War: Literature and Legends From the Bronze Age to the Present by Diane P. Thompson. Explores the historical and archaeological background of the war, and provides an overview of Troy stories from Homer through the 20th century.
The March of Folly by Barbara W. Tuchman details turning points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly, including the Trojan War.
Warfare in the Classical World by John Gibson Warry is an illustrated encyclopedia of weapons, warriors and warfare in the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome, beginning with the Trojan War.
Books by and About Homer
The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles. This groundbreaking translation of Homer's great epic poem about the Trojan War has been hailed by scholars as the new standard, providing an Iliad that delights modern sensibility without sacrificing the grandeur of Homer's style and language. (This review © Amazon.com.)
War Music: An Account of Books 1-4 and 16-19 of Homer's Iliad by Christopher Logue is an exciting poetic translation of parts of the Iliad.
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles. Odysseus wants to go home. But Poseidon, god of oceans, doesn't want him to make it back across the wine-dark sea to his wife Penelope. That's the basic plot of the epic poem Homer wrote 2,700 years ago, but even now an English translation by Robert Fagles is a true literary event. The ancient story is told in easy-going, beautiful poetry. A gripping, fast-moving read. (This review © Amazon.com.)
Homer: Poet of the Iliad by Mark W. Edwards. Analyzes the Iliad and Odyssey, and describes Homeric society.
The Tradition of the Trojan War in Homer and the Epic Cycle by Jonathan S. Burgess. Challenges Homer's authority on the history and legends of the Trojan War, placing the Iliad and Odyssey in the context of the entire body of Greek epic poetry of the Archaic Age.
King of Sacrifice: Ritual and Royal Authority in the Iliad by Sarah Hitch. In Homer's tale of the Trojan War, animal sacrifice is used to bolster the royal authority of Agamemnon and emphasize Akhilleus' isolation.
Poetry As Performance: Homer and Beyond by Gregory Nagy is about traditional Greek epic composition. Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet by Barry B. Powell presents the author's theory that the Greek alphabet was invented so that the Iliad and Odyssey could be written down.
The Song of the Sirens by Pietro Pucci and Gregory Nagy is a book of essays on Homer.
An Enquiry Into the Life and Writings of Homer by Thomas Blackwell.
Other Classics
Ten Plays by Euripides, translated by Moses Hadas. The Greek poet Euripides, born around 480 B.C., wrote some 92 plays, only 18 or 19 of which have survived to the present day. This collection includes The Trojan Women.
Helen by Euripides, translated by James Michie and Colin Leach. About Helen of Troy.
Ajax, Women of Trachis, Electra, Philoctetes by Sophocles, edited by Palmer Bovie. Translations of four plays by the Greek poet Sophocles, a contemporary of Euripides. Two of these plays, Ajax and Philoctetes, deal with warriors who fought in the Trojan War.
Virgil's Aeneid translated by John Dryden. The Roman poet Virgil was born in 70 B.C. The Aeneid is an epic retelling of the adventures of the Trojan hero Aeneas after the fall of Troy.
Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare. Troilus was a Trojan prince who fell in love with the Greek Cressida, or Chryseis.
Nonfiction About Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore by Bettany Hughes. For three thousand years, Helen of Troy has been a symbol of female beauty and power. But who was the real Helen? This book examines the facts and myths surrounding her life.
Helen: Myth, Legend, and the Culture of Misogyny by Robert Emmet Meagher. Published in 1995. Available from Alibris.
See the Modern Novels section for fiction about Helen of Troy.
Books About Heinrich Schliemann
Books by Heinrich Schliemann. Out of print, but available from Alibris.
Finding the Walls of Troy: Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann at Hisarlik by Susan Heuck Allen. The discovery of the ancient city of Troy has long been attributed to Heinrich Schliemann. This book gives a good portion of the credit to archaeologist Frank Calvert.
The Greek Treasure by Irving Stone. Biographical novel about Schliemann and his wife Sophia. From Alibris.
Modern Novels
Helen of Troy: A Novel by Margaret George. Helen of Troy tells her life story. The world's most beautiful woman is resigned to a passionless marriage until she meets handsome Trojan prince Paris. After the lovers flee to Troy, war and tragedy become inevitable.
The Memoirs of Helen of Troy: A Novel by Amanda Elyot. Helen of Troy tells the truth about her life, her lovers, and the Trojan War.
Daughter of Troy by Sarah B. Franklin. Tells the story of the Trojan War through the point of view of Briseis, Achilles' captive.
King of Ithaca by Glyn Iliffe. Eperitus, a young soldier, joins Odysseus, Prince of Ithaca, on a quest to save his homeland.
The Firebrand by Marian Zimmer Bradley. Tells the story of Troy through the eyes of Kassandra -- priestess, princess, and passionate woman. By the author of The Mists of Avalon. Out of print, but available from Alibris.
The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough. Recounts the tale of the Trojan War: Helen and Paris, lovers who doomed two great nations to war; sad old King Priam of Troy; and the tormented warrior Achilles. By the author of The Thorn Birds.
The Private Life of Helen of Troy by John Erskine. This satircal novel was a bestseller when it was first published in 1925. From Alibris.
Children's Books About the Trojan War
Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum, illustrated by Willy Pogany. For young adult readers.
The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge. For children ages 9 to 12.
Voices of the Trojan War by Kate Hovey. For children ages 9 to 12.
Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney. Tells the story of Troy through the eyes of Anaxander, daughter of the king of a tiny Greek island. For ages 12 and up.
Troy by Adele Geras. Fictional account of the Trojan War for young adult readers.
Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner. Young adult novel in which Helen of Troy has "steely determination and a sassy attitude."
Tales of the Trojan War by Kamini Khanduri. For young adult readers.
Trojan War: The Iliad by Harry Knill. A coloring book.
The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War by Emily Little, illustrated by Michael Eagle, explains how the Greeks used the Trojan Horse to win the war. For ages 9-12.
The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Robert Byrd. Biography for ages 9-12.
