Product Description

The long siege is ended. Troy lies in ashes. The black ships of the Greek war-host set sail for home - but for King Odysseus of Ithaca, the return voyage holds hazards far greater than any he faced in the Trojan War. Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey is transformed by Rosemary Sutcliff into a traveller's tale with a spectacular cast of magicians and monsters. This book is a sequel to her story of the Trojan War entitled Black Ships Before Troy. It includes a Greek pronunciation guide and a map of Odysseus' incredible journey.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48972 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 120 pages

Review
"Suteliff's rich, gutsy and often terrifying retelling of the Odyssey is brilliantly matched by the strength of Alan Lee's sinuous drawing and the subtle intensity of his palette." The Guardian

About the Author
Rosemary Suttcliff was a matchless writer of historical fiction. She wrote for all ages from nine to ninety. She died in 1992 at the age of 71.

ALAN LEE won the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations to Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy, which was followed by The Wanderings of Odysseus. He illustrated the Centenary editions of J.R.R. Tolkien'ss The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and later adapted his vision of Middle Earth from page to celluloid in Peter Jackson's film trilogy The Lord of the Rings, winning an Oscar for Conceptual Design in 2004. he lives in Devon.

Customer Reviews

First rate introduction to the Odyssey for children
From the fall of Troy to his triumphant homecoming, the heroic, tragic, and ultimately moving story of Odysseus' quest to return home is told in this wonderful book. Rosemary Sutcliffe's retelling and Alan Lee's illustrations are perfectly matched. My 8 year old has read it three times now and he is utterly hooked on History, Greece and mythology. There is a companion volume, Black Ships Before Troy, which is equally good.

Took me back... and my sons loved it!
I bought this and its "companion" (Black Ships Before Troy)for my 9 year old son who is a real sword & sandal fan. He (and his older brothers) have been captivated by Rosemary Sutcliff's story-telling - or should that be retelling?

In any event, the timeless story combined with Sutcliff's reworking and the superb artwork are truly remarkable and have encouraged all of my kids to read and re-read not just these but many other books.

On a personal note, I loved Rosemary Sutcliff's books when I was a child - true gems such as Warrior Scarlet and The Eagle of the Ninth, so I knew that my guys would enjoy these tales.