The Golden Fleece: And the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles [Hardcover]

Padraic Colum (Author), Willy Pogany (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1967 | Age Level: 9 and up

Describes the cycle of myths about the Argonauts and the quest for the Golden Fleece, as well as the tales of the Creation of Heaven and Earth, the labors of Hercules, Theseus and the Minotaur, etc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Padraic Colum (1881–1972) was an Irish poet, dramatist, novelist, and collector of folklore. He was a three-time Newbery Honor award winner.

Rick Riordan is the author of the enormously popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (October 1, 1967)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 002723620X
• ISBN-13: 978-0027236200
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,841,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to Greek mythology., May 18, 1999

By 

R. D. Allison ([e-mail]) (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Fleece: And the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles (Paperback)

This volume by the transplanted Irish poet Padraic Colum is a well-known introduction to Greek mythology for children. It was a runner-up to the first (1922) Newbery Medal for best contribution to American children's literature. In the framework of telling the story of Jason and the Argonauts, other noted stories are told (e.g., Theseus and the Minotaur, the labors of Hercules, etc.). In this edition, the artwork is in the style of the 1920s. You can even imagine "flappers" dancing. Children enjoy this introduction and search for more.

20 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles, February 8, 2002

By 

"6thgradeteacher" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Fleece: And the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles (Paperback)

I've taught 6th grade for more than a decade so I'm quite familiar with the Greek heroes. That's why I was so disappointed to discover that this is one of the most boring versions of the Greek myths I've ever read. Perhaps in 1922, when it was new, it excited children to research further, but modern kids find the language stulted and the action almost non-existent. Far better versions of these stories exist. Unfortunately for me, taken in by good reviews, I bought twenty copies for classroom use before discovering how deadly dull it was. If you have a kid whose read everything else, s/he might be interested, otherwise just forget it.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars the golden fleece, October 6, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Golden Fleece: And the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles (Paperback)

I think that the golden fleece was a great book and had great illistrations,and detail in the story a few places are a little rough but still a great book. It whould be a little better if it did'int keep skiping story's