Robert von Ranke-Graves Books

Clau-Clau-Claudius the stammerer was known as a buffoon and a pitiful fool.He made it his business to watch from the sidelines and record the antics, funny, violent and lustful, of the imperial household as its members vied with each other for power. Then he found himself Emperor.From the great days of Augustus and the cruelties of Tiberius to the deified insanity of Caligula, he records a story breathtaking in its murderousness, greed and folly. Throughout the swings of fortune, his own disastrous love affair with the depraved Messalina and surprisingly successful reign, his voice sometimes puzzled, sometimes rueful, always sane, speaks to us across the centuries in two great, classic historical novels.

The narrative centers on Marie Powell, who marries the renowned poet John Milton at just sixteen, set against the backdrop of the English Civil War. Their union, marked by stark ideological differences—her Royalist views clash with his Parliamentarian beliefs—creates a tumultuous relationship. Through Marie's poignant journals, the story unfolds as a critique of Milton's literary ambition and masculinity. It also captures the intense historical context of 1640s England, highlighting themes of tyranny versus freedom amidst a nation in turmoil.

Graves created a rich mythology where love, fear, fantasy and the supernatural play an essential role. Intimate yet universal, passionate yet precise, their brilliant alchemy of realism and magic made Graves' poems some of the finest. This book presents the achievement of Graves' seventy productive years. schovat popis

Compiled for collectors, book dealers and all who love books, this indispensable volume provides a guide to the value of over 33,000 sought-after books. It includes classic authors from Jane Austen to Oscar Wilde, detective writers from Eric Ambler to Minette Walters, illustrators from Aubrey Beardsley to Florence Upton, and poets from Richard Aldington to Walt Whitman. More than 600 authors and artists are represented, in British and American first editions, limited editions, and important, collectable reprints. As featured on Front Row, Radio 4, and recommended by BBC Homes and Antiques magazine. The tantalizing game of wondering how much your first editions are worth may be continued, with the publication of the Guide to First Edition Prices - Times Literary Supplement.

FIRST AMERICAN EDITION 1973 stated on copyright page, published by Clarkson N. Potter, hardcover with dj. Illustrated by Hans Erni. Publisher's "In this new translation of the Canticles or Song of Songs Robert Graves uses the traditional form of the Hebrew pastoral drama performed at wedding festivals. He has found this preserved in the Codex Sinaiticus, the earliest surviving Greek it assigns parts to bride, bridegroom, bridesmaids and bridesmen. Professor Graves uses all his mastery of language and rhythm to bring a new depth of emotion to this version of the sole Hebrew book in sacred use which concentrated wholly on the theme of love between man and woman--this being regarded by the Council of Jabne as the most important of all religious themes because it prompts the recognition of a deeper love between God and man. In his Introduction, he comments on the origin of the Canticles and on their links with other religions, myths and poems of the Ancient Near East." Rovert Graves is also the author of "The Greek Myths" and "King Jesus"

With the same brilliance that characterized his classic I, Claudius, Robert Graves continues the tumultuous life of the Roman who became emperor in spite of himself and his handicaps. Claudius the God reveals the splendor, vitality and decadence of the Roman Empire through the eyes of the wry and bemused Claudius who reigns as emperor for thirteen years. The crippled Claudius describes himself as the fool of the royal family, whom none of his ambitious and blood-thirsty relatives considered worth the trouble of killing. Once in the throne, however, he finds himself at last at the center of the political maelstrom.

Retells the stories of Greek gods and heroes.

Into the 'autobiography' of Clau-Clau-Claudius, the pitiful stammerer who was destined to become Emperor in spite of himself, Graves packs the everlasting intrigues, the depravity, the bloody purges and mounting cruelty of the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, soon to culminate in the deified insanity of Caligula. I, Claudius and its sequel, Claudius the God, are among the most celebrated, as well the most gripping historical novels ever written. Cover illustration: Brian Pike

he Islands of Unwisdom is an historical novel by Robert Graves, published in 1949. It was also published in the UK as The Isles of Unwisdom. It is a reconstruction of an historic event, the voyage of Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira to find the Solomon Islands. Graves tells a story with many surprising twists, in which some characters turn out to be quite different from how they are first portrayed. In Graves's telling, when the Spanish first come into contact with Solomon Islanders, the relationship is cordial. However, the Spanish expedition's need for fresh food and water quickly leads to tension and conflict, the Solomon Islanders’ subsistence economy being unable to provide continuous supplies. The real prizes are pigs, desperately needed by the Spanish, while vital to the local people’s economy. The tensions cannot be resolved, and so the Spaniards sail home. Graves also considered that the story summarizes the reasons Spain lost its early lead in exploring the world. (Source; wiki)

Despised for his weakness and regarded by his family as little more than a stammering fool, the nobleman Claudius quietly survives the intrigues, bloody purges and mounting cruelty of the imperial Roman dynasties. In I, Claudius he watches from the sidelines to record the reigns of its emperors: from the wise Augustus and his villainous wife Livia to the sadistic Tiberius and the insane excesses of Caligula. Written in the form of Claudius’ autobiography, this is the first part of Robert Graves’s brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, and stands as one of the most celebrated, gripping historical novels ever written.

Endymion, Pelops, Daedalus, Pygmalion -- we recognize the names, but what are the stories behind these and other familiar gods from the Greek pantheon -- names that recur throughout the history of European culture? Drawing on an enormous range of sources, Robert Graves has brought together elements of these myths in simple narrative form. He retells the adventures of the most important gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks. His work has become the reference for the serious scholar as well as the casual inquirer.

Robert Graves's dynamic retelling of Homer's powerful epic poem This edition of Homer 's Iliad , retold with authority and grace by the incomparable Robert Graves, takes a revered classic back to its roots as popular entertainment. War is raging between the Greeks and the Trojans. Achilles, the great warrior champion of the Greek army, is angrily sulking in his tent and refusing to fight, after an argument with his leader, Agamemnon. But when the Trojan warrior Hector kills Achilles' beloved friend Patroclus, Achilles plunges back into battle to seek his bloody revenge-even though it will bring about his own doom. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

A collection of stories from such authors as James Thurber, Guy de Maupassant, Ray Bradbury, H G Wells, etc.

The gold standard in Greek mythology, in a dazzling Graphic Deluxe Edition featuring flaps, deckled edges, and specially commissioned cover art by Ross Macdonald and a new introduction by the multimillion-copy bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series From the creation of the world out of Chaos and the birth of the Olympians to the Trojan War and Odysseus's return, Robert Graves's superb retelling of the Greek myths has long been acclaimed as the definitive edition. Graves draws on sources scattered throughout ancient literature, using a novelist's skill to weave a crisp, coherent narrative of each myth and providing commentaries with cross-references, interpretations, and explanations based on solid scholarship. The result is a classic volume of many of the greatest stories ever told—stories of the gods, heroes, and extraordinary events that inspired Homer, the Greek tragedians, and so much of subsequent European literature. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Endymion, Pelops, Daedalus, Pygmalion � what are the stories behind these and the hundreds of other familiar names from Greek mythology � names that recur throughout the history of European culture? In a two-volume work that has become a classic reference book for both the serious scholar and the casual inquirer, Robert Graves retells the adventures of the important gods and heroes worshipped by the ancient Greeks. Drawing on an enormous range of sources, he has brought together all the elements of every myth in simple narrative form, supplying detailed cross-references and indexes. Each entry has a full commentary which examines problems of interpretation in both historical and anthropological terms, and in the light of contemporary research.

In 1929 Robert Graves went to live abroad permanently, vowing 'never to make England my home again'. This is his superb account of his life up until that 'bitter leave-taking': from his childhood and desperately unhappy school days at Charterhouse, to his time serving as a young officer in the First World War that was to haunt him throughout his life. It also contains memorable encounters with fellow writers and poets, including Siegfried Sassoon and Thomas Hardy, and covers his increasingly unhappy marriage to Nancy Nicholson. Goodbye to All That, with its vivid, harrowing descriptions of the Western Front, is a classic war document, and also has immense value as one of the most candid self-portraits of an artist ever written.

Examines selected Biblical passages for their mythological references and their anthropological value.

Marking a century since World War I concluded, this hardcover edition presents a renowned memoir that captures the profound experiences of the conflict. It offers a personal perspective on the war's impact, featuring vivid accounts and reflections that resonate with both historical significance and emotional depth.

The definitive edition of one of the more extraordinary and influential books of our time This labyrinthine and extraordinary book, first published more than sixty years ago, was the outcome of Robert Graves's vast reading and curious research into strange territories of folklore, mythology, religion, and magic. Erudite and impassioned, it is a scholar-poet's quest for the meaning of European myths, a polemic about the relations between man and woman, and also an intensely personal document in which Graves explores the sources of his own inspiration and, as he believed, all true poetry. Incorporating all of Graves's final revisions, his replies to two of the original reviewers, and an essay describing the months of illumination in which The White Goddess was written, this is the definitive edition of one of the most influential books of our time.

"A real historical figure, the British surgeon Dr. William Palmer was accused in 1856 of murdering fourteen people by means of poison. The Dr. Kevorkian trial of the 19th century, with a bit of O.J. Simpson mixed in for good measure, the scandal entranced nearly the entire population of the British Isles. Everyone had an opinion on the case--including esteemed poet and historical fabulist Robert Graves. They Hanged My Saintly Billy is true crime as only a true literary master could write it, with exquisitely rendered portrais of Palmer's era and milieu, told from the shifting perspectives of all who came into contact with the notorious doctor. Just as his renowned I, Claudius opened a window onto a case of history once thought to be closed, Graves's account of Palmer's life recasts the surgeon as a victim of yellow journalism and overzealous judges. But ultimately it's left up to the reader to decide whether or not Palmer's mother is in the right, or merely duped along with the rest of Palmer's supporters, when she laments: "Yes, they hanged my saintly Billy! He was a bit of a scamp right enough, but a good son to me; the best of the brood. and no murderer."--

A marvel of scholarly & pictorial art--Detroit News This wonderful book is a revelation--Dame Edith Sitwell Here, in all their wonder & splendor, are the mythologies of humankind--from pre-biblical Egypt & pre-Homeric Greece to the furthest reaches of Africa, the Orient, the Pacific & the Americas--all gathered into one mammoth volume of unprecedented scope & beauty, & illustrated with an incomparable assemblage of authentic paintings, sculpture, symbols, idols, ritual & sacrificial objects, many rarely seen by modern Western eyes. This monumental work is the 1st complete encyclopedia of world mythology. Originally published in France by the famous house of Larousse, it contains of course all the well-loved myths of Classical Antiquity. But more than half the book is devoted to the strange & unfamiliar mythologies of civilizations other than our own--from Peru to Persia, from Tahiti to Togoland.

"There was no patriotism in the trenches. It was too remote a sentiment, and rejected as fit only for civilians. A new arrival who talked patriotism would soon be told to cut it out. As Blighty, Great Britain was a quiet, easy place to get back to out of the present foreign misery, but as a nation it was nothing." This is the original version of Robert Graves's intense memoir of the First World War, restoring this raw, emotionally truthful, darkly comic work to the way it was first written, by a young man still reeling from the trenches. 'We see the dark heart of the book even more clearly, and hear it beating even more loudly, in this original edition than we do in the comparatively careful and considered terms of the later one' Andrew Motion 'One of the most candid self-portraits, warts and all, ever painted' TLS

Not for over a century, since Smith's Dictionary of Classical Mythology first appeared, has the attempt been made to provide for the English reader a complete 'mythology,' in the sense of retelling in modern terms of the Greekk tales of gods and heroes. In the two volumes of this book Robert Graves, whose combination of classical scholarship and anthropological competence has already been so brilliantly demonstrated in The White Goddess and The Golden Fleece, and the other novels, supplies the need. In nearly two hundred sections, it covers the Creation myths, the legends of the birth and lives of the great Olympians, the Theseus, Oedipus, and Heracles cycles, the Argonaut voyage, the tale of Troy, and much else. All the scattered elements of each myth have been assembled into a harmonius narrative, and many variations are recorded which may help to determine its ritual or historical meaning. Full references to the classical sources, and copius indices, make the book as valuable to the scholar as to the general reader; and a full commentary on each myth explains and interprets the classical version in the light of to-day's archaeological and anthropological knowledge.

'Icarus disobeyed his father's instructions and began soaring towards the sun, rejoiced by the lift of his great sweeping wings. Presently, when Daedalus looked over his shoulder, he could no longer see Icarus; but scattered feathers floated on the waves below...'These are the greatest stories ever told - the labours of Hercules, the voyage of the Argonauts, Theseus and the minotaur, Midas and his golden touch, the Trojan War and Odysseus's journey home - brought together into one epic and unforgettable story. Ideal for the first time reader, it can be read as a single page-turning narrative, while full commentaries as well as a comprehensive index of names make it equally valuable for anyone seeking an authoritative and detailed account of the spectacular stories that make up the bedrock of Western literature. The Greek Myths is a classic among classics, a treasure trove of extraordinary tales and a masterful work of literature in its own right.

As private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian, Suetonius gained access to the imperial archives and used them (along with carefully gathered eye-witness accounts) to produce one of the most colourful biographical works in history. "The Twelve Caesars" chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over Rome, from the foundation of the empire under Julius Caesar and Augustus, to the decline into depravity and civil war under Nero, and the recovery and stability that came with his successors. A masterpiece of anecdote, wry observation and detailed physical description, "The Twelve Caesars" presents us with a gallery of vividly drawn - and all too human - individuals. This translation, by the noted classicist Robert Graves, serves the ancient chronicler very well indeed.

Selected short stories introduced by Christopher Isherwood

A scholarly approach to sixty-one stories from the book of Genesis, following in the lucid format of Graves' canonical The Greek Myths. With a new introduction by author of Bibliotheca, Adam Lewis Greene. An exhaustive study of sixty-one stories from the Old Testament and the Torah, as well as pre-biblical texts censored for centuries, that nuance, extend, and complete the book of Genesis. Graves and Patai, renowned scholars of Greco-Roman and Hebrew mythology, transcend the Christian biblical and Judaic versions of these narratives, in order to redefine myth. Myths are reconceived as dramatic stories that form a sacred charter either authorizing the continuance or the alteration of religious beliefs. Authorized biblical texts are interpreted against the grain to expose folk tales, apocryphal texts, midrashes, and other little-known documents that the Old Testament and the Torah exclude. Thus, the mythological component underlying the theological component is revealed. This is a useful companion to Graves' The Greek Myths, as it puts forth the thesis that the Hebrews, unlike the Greeks, used myth to sermonize on national history and destiny. Though the authors were true intellectuals, they were considered mavericks by the mainstream academy.

Selected Poems by Robert Graves now in poetry front-list paperback.

Beginning his life-long affair with the Middle East, T.E. Lawrence--Lawrence of Arabia--made his first journey to the region, a four-month walking tour of Syria studying the Crusaders' castles, while still a student at Oxford. He later returned to the area as an archeologist and at the outbreak of World War I was attached to British army intelligence in Egypt. In 1916 he set out on his greatest adventure. With no backing, Lawrence joined Arab forces facing almost insurmountable odds in a rebellion against Turkish domination. His brilliance as a desert war strategist made him a hero among the Arabs, a legendary figure throughout the world, and earned him the moniker Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence, though, had a near-pathological dislike of publicity and, at the writing of this book, had begun a life of self-imposed obscurity as T.E. Shaw, an anonymous soldier in the RAF. First published in 1927, Robert Graves's biography remains a unique study of T.E. Lawrence. As a close friend (Lawrence had earlier saved the aspiring poet from bankruptcy), Graves was the only biographer to write with Lawrence's permission and cooperation and did so with understanding and insight that enabled him to separate the man from the myth

The ever-popular novelist and story-teller Robert Graves wrote fascinating and durable stories, here collected in a single volume by the poet's daughter Lucia Graves.

"King Jesus has been called one of the most controversial historical novels of all time. In it Robert Graves, author of I, Claudius and The White Goddess, has summoned his superb narrative powers, his painstaking scholarship, his wit and unsurpassed ability to re-create the past, to produce a magnificent portrayal of the life of Christ on earth."--Provided by publisher.

A powerful, stirring novel of clashing destinies and list for power, by the author of I, Claudius The Sixth Century was not a peaceful one for the Roman Empire. Invaders threatened on all frontiers; Huns, Vandals, Goths, Saracens, Moors, Persians. But they grew to fear and respect the name of Belisarius, horseman, archer, swordsman and military commander of incredible skill and daring. Belisarius led the Imperial armies wherever the Emperor Justinian sent him; to the Eastern Frontier on the Euphrates, across the Mediterranean to Carthage, and to Rome. In his palace at Constantinople, Justinian plotted and intrigued, dominated by his wife Theodora whose spies were everywhere. Justinian hated Belisarius for his success, his nobility and his universal popularity. But Belisarius was the one man who cold save the Empire...

Like the three monkeys, the New Cretans see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil. When Edward Venn-Thomas wakes up to find himself in their midst he realizes that much has happened since the mid-20th century from which he has been whisked. His hosts live in peace and prosperity in a society which knows no hunger and no dissatisfaction, where war has become a game played on village greens, where the poets and magicians of a strange occult religion keep all classes of the population happy with their lot. But idyllic though their civilization may be, it is insipid and boring, a Utopia utterly lacking in danger, excitement or spice. And as Venn-Thomas begins to understand the bewildering adventures which befall him, he realizes that he has been chosen by The Goddess to inject New Crete with disruption and misery, to create disaster and chaos, to reintroduce the New Cretans to a force they have forgotten about - evil. In short, to teach them to live again. [Taken from the back cover]

Published by Penguin for more than sixty years, the author and scholar Robert Graves wrote two of the greatest historical novels of the twentieth century: I Claudius and Claudius the God. Written as Claudius' autobiography, they follow his progress from a stammering figure of fun to the ruler of the Roman Empire. Here, in extracts from both books, he describes the glory and decadence of the mad Emperor Caligula's reign - an age of wild debauchery and whimsical cruelty.

"My story is true... every word of it. Or when I say that my story is 'true', I mean at least I am telling it in a new way..."So begins "The Shout," the tale of a man possessed by a lethal magic, perhaps Robert Graves's most famous story. This collection spans 1924-62; it takes in the worlds of love and war, history and myth, and settings as various as England, Ancient Rome and Majorca. In so far as its author asserts the truth of his stories, they can be read as episodes of autobiography, this collection forming an essential companion to "Goodbye to All That."

Set against the backdrop of the American War of Independence, the narrative follows Sergeant Roger Lamb, a British non-commissioned officer imprisoned after the Battle of Saratoga. As the American Congress stalls his repatriation, Lamb devises a daring escape to rejoin British forces, ultimately participating in the pivotal battles leading to Yorktown. This compelling tale, inspired by Lamb's true memoirs, is crafted by Robert Graves, offering a vivid, semi-historical portrayal of a soldier's resilience during a transformative period in American history.

The renowned poet, classicist, and novelist Robert Graves “recounts, in faithful and nicely atmospheric detail” the story of a British soldier during the American Revolution (The Philadelphia Inquirer). Featuring a new introduction by Madison Smartt Bell. A historical novel of the early years of the American Revolution based on the adventures of Sergeant Roger Lamb, a Dublin man, in the service of His Majesty’s Army. It begins with Lamb’s early days in Dublin and ends with his arrival in Boston as a member of the regiment taken prisoner after Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga. The first in a two-book series, Sergeant Lamb's America is based on historical research, describing events and figures from the British perspective during the American War of Independence. Sergeant Lamb is engaging, personable, and exudes basic decency of character as he recounts the British defeat and the capture of his unit at the Battle of Saratoga in a voice that’s both funny, insightful, and wise. “It is a historical novel for which one has a very real respect.” —The New York Times

<i>The White Goddess</i> is perhaps the finest of Robert Graves's works on the psychological and mythological sources of poetry. In this tapestry of poetic and religious scholarship, Graves explores the stories behind the earliest of European deities—the White Goddess of Birth, Love, and Death—who was worshipped under countless titles. He also uncovers the obscure and mysterious power of "pure poetry" and its peculiar and mythic language.

-Stories from the other Mallorca Robert Graves (1895-1985) ist einer der bedeutendsten englischen Dichter des 20. Jahrhunderts. Er lebte und schrieb insgesamt über 50 Jahre auf Mallorca. In seinen zeitlosen "Geschichten aus dem anderen Mallorca", die erstmalig bei Reise Know-How in deutscher Übersetzung erschienen sind, entwirft er mit wohlwollender Ironie und subtilem Humor ein Bild der Insel und ihrer Bewohner abseits der touristischen Sphären. Lediglich die längere Erzählung "Está en su Casa" ist ernster Natur. Graves setzt sich darin auf distanzierte, aber zugleich einfühlsame Art mit den Schrecken des Spanischen Bürgerkrieges auf Mallorca auseinander. Gemeinsam ist allen Geschichten, dass sie die Leser auf hohen Niveau unterhalten und überraschende Einblicke in Mentalität und Lebensart der Mallorquiner gewähren.

Robert Graves (1895–1985) był poetą z przekonania, powieściopisarzem dla zarobku i badaczem tradycji z namiętności. „Biała Bogini” (1948, wydanie rozszerzone: 1961) powstała między dwoma najbardziej znanymi u nas dziełami tego angielskiego twórcy: powieścią „Ja, Klaudiusz” (1934) i „Mitami greckimi” (1955). Jest badaniem historycznym opartym na „natchnieniu poetyckim”, badaniem nienaukowym w zwykłym sensie, lecz tym bardziej przez to fascynującym. Graves wysuwa kontrowersyjne hipotezy, które nadają jego dziełu wprost sensacyjny charakter. Czytelnik wraz z autorem tropi ślady domniemanej tytułowej bogini w obrzędach i mitach starożytnej Irlandii i Brytanii, odkrywa tajemnice „zaszyfrowane” w ówczesnych tekstach poetyckich, a nawet w gaelickim alfabecie. Te okruchy tradycji zawierają, zdaniem Gravesa, przekaz o pradawnym powszechnym kulcie tego bóstwa: bogini o wielu imionach, swoistej prototypowej religii. W szczególności walijski epos „Bitwa drzew” (spisany w XIV wieku) miałby ukrywać wiadomości o niej. W niezwykłym „śledztwie” Graves odtwarza pierwotną, jego zdaniem, postać poematu. Kult ów, uważa autor, trwa w wypartej, ezoterycznej postaci, odkąd zapanował „męski” monoteistyczny Bóg judaizmu, ale nadal stanowi żywą inspirację dla poetów. „Biała Bogini” to dzisiaj dzieło „kultowe”, które niezależnie od kontrowersyjnej tezy jest prawdziwą kopalnią wiedzy o mitologii różnych kultur i o historii religii.

Prima della scienza e della religione, c’è il mito, un modo ingenuo e fantasioso di spiegare l’origine delle cose e degli uomini. Filologia, etnografia e antropologia hanno analizzato il mito, rivelandone le radici ideologiche e il retroterra di superstizione. Tuttavia, questi miti, dissezionati, vengono spesso presentati come freddi reperti, privi di vita. Robert Graves riesce a rianimare questa materia inerte, restituendocela con il suo splendore e un senso di meraviglia e umorismo. I miti greci, attraverso centosettantuno capitoli, si snodano con la vivacità di un racconto ben scritto, evocando un mondo incantato e affascinante. Senza retorica o manierismo, le gesta di dèi ed eroi, pur epiche, sono costantemente riportate alla nostra misura umana, immerse nella quotidianità dell’antica Grecia. Zeus, Era, Afrodite ed Eracle non solo compiono prodigi, ma affrontano anche le debolezze umane: soffrono, si arrabbiano e vivono avventure amorose. Questo approccio non smitizza i miti, ma preserva la loro sostanza e il loro sapore, ispirandosi più alla grande lezione del Ramo d’oro di Frazer che al triste scavo di Freud, Jung e Kerényi.

W pasjonujący sposób opisana historia wyprawy Argonautów po Złote Runo. Herkules, Jazon, Atalanta i inni mitologiczni bohaterowie ożywają na kartach dzieła mistrza gatunku powieści historycznej Roberta Gravesa.

Robert Graves (1895-1985) - angielski pisarz, autor bestselerowych powieści historycznych, między innymi Ja Klauiusz i Klaudiusz i Messalina, poeta, historyk, kulturoznawca, tworca najlepszego kompedium wiedzy o mitologii starożytnych Greków był także doskonałym znawcą kultury, religii i mitologii żydowskiej. Wspólnie z amerykańskim orientalistą i biblistą Raphaelem Patai napisali Mity hebrajskie wzorując się na klasycznych już w układzie treści i problematyce Mitach greckich. Odtwarzają w tej książce pierwotną postać znanych, a jednak tajemniczych i niezrozumiałych opowieści z biblijnej Księgi Rodzaju. Korzystają nie tylko ze Starego Testamentu ale także z literatury rabinicznej, Miszny, Talmudu. Nie tylko jednak podają jednoznaczne, kanoniczne opowieści, przywołują inne wersje mitów, dodatkowo osadzając je w kontekście kulturowym, a także porównując z mitami innych cywilizacji starożytnych

Este ensayo erudito y apasionado reconstruye el lenguaje mágico de la Europa antigua mediterránea y septentrional, vinculado a ceremonias religiosas en honor a la diosa Luna. Graves narra la existencia de culturas matriarcales en Europa y Oriente Próximo que adoraban a una Diosa Suprema, considerando a los dioses masculinos solo como hijos, consortes o víctimas de sacrificio. Estas culturas fueron suprimidas por el patriarcado, que despojó a las mujeres de su autoridad, elevó a los consortes de la Diosa a una posición de supremacía divina y reescribió mitos y rituales para ocultar el pasado. La conquista patriarcal llegó a Britania y al resto de Europa occidental alrededor del 400 a.C. Graves mezcla géneros para sumergirnos en los antecedentes históricos, tribales y místicos de la poesía, transitando desde las mitologías griegas hasta las simbologías panteístas y naturalistas de los bardos celtas, culminando en una sátira de la sociedad contemporánea. Este libro, el más personal de Graves, es un ensayo inteligente que revela su originalidad y resulta esencial para comprender su obra y pensamiento. La edición definitiva ha sido realizada por el profesor Grevel Lindop, basada en la última versión y apuntes del autor de 1961, y cuenta con una nueva traducción de su hijo y albacea literario, William Graves.

Robert von Ranke-Graves folgt den mannigfachen Spuren und Verwandlungen des Mythos der Weißen Göttin über einen Zeitraum von circa 4000 Jahren vom Mittelmeerraum bis nach Nordwesteuropa. Als Wissenschaftler und Erzähler schlägt er einen kühnen Bogen von den archaischen Mutter-Idolen und den matriarchalen Religionen über deren Integrationsversuche durch das Christentum bis zum "unterdrückten Verlangen der westlichen Kultur, das einer praktischen Form des Kults der Göttin gilt". So handelt dieses Buch von dem einst verbreiteten poetischen Mythos in seiner magischen Sprache, der später umgeformt und verfälscht wurde, als die matriliniearen Institutionen - etwa zu Ehren der Mondgöttin oder der Muse - durch patrilinieare ersetzt wurden.

Geboren 1928 in New York als Kind polnisch-jüdischer Einwanderer. Maurice Sendak illustrierte bereits als Gymnasiast klassische Texte und entwarf Schutzumschläge. Seine „Wilden Kerle“ machten ihn gleichsam über Nacht berühmt. Sendak erhielt unter anderem die „Caldecot-Medal“, die höchste amerikanische Auszeichnung für einen Kinderbuchkünstler, und einstimmig den internationalen „Hans-Christian-Andersen-Preis“.

Meno di cento chilometri in linea d'aria separavano le colline del Kent dalle Fiandre, e i corni della caccia alla volpe avevano un suono sinistro, contro il rombo dei bombardamenti a tappeto intorno a Ypres, o sulla Somme. Durante un attacco dell'artiglieria tedesca, il 20 luglio 1916, Robert Graves fu ferito così gravemente da comparire, in un primo momento, sulla lista dei caduti – con onore, beninteso – che il «Times» pubblicava ogni giorno. In realtà Graves tornò su un treno ospedale alla stazione di Wimbledon, e qualche tempo dopo si riprese dalle ferite, per quanto atroci: ma la notte sentiva esplodere granate intorno al letto, scambiava i passanti per amici perduti al fronte, e se sentiva partire una macchina, o sbattere una porta, si gettava a terra. E così, a poco a poco, quei cento chilometri scarsi fra il tè del pomeriggio e i cadaveri lasciati a decomporsi nella terra di nessuno diventarono, per Graves come per gli altri scampati al massacro, un abisso capace di inghiottire per sempre, in un orrore senza nome, il mondo di ieri. Che nel 1929, prima di lasciare un'Inghilterra in cui non avrebbe potuto più vivere, Graves ricostruì per un'ultima volta in questo libro – il più nitido, struggente e indimenticabile atto di commiato che le trincee d'Europa abbiano costretto un poeta a scrivere.