The Trojan War [Paperback]

Olivia E. Coolidge (Author), Olivia E Coolidge (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

In this retelling of the Trojan War, Olivia Coolidge crafts heroes and gods into real, multidimensional characters, not just the figures of legend. Vibrant storytelling and finely wrought action have made her version of the classic tale of the Fall of Troy accessible to generations of young readers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sequel to the author’s Greek Myths, this is written in the same lucid, simple, yet powerful prose." School Library Journal, Starred

"Here for today’s readers is one of the world’s great stories." Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Olivia Coolidge was born in London, England, in 1908. She received her education at Somerville College, Oxford University, where her main subjects included Latin, Greek, and philosophy. These studies helped her earn her place in the pantheon on children's literature through her mythological retellings demonstrating careful research and the adriot capacity to bring the past to life.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; None edition (October 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618154280
• ISBN-13: 978-0618154289
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Greek & Roman
  • #99 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Greek & Roman

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, October 21, 2004

By 

John M. Lemon (Spokane, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Trojan War (Paperback)

This book is an excellent introduction to Homer and the Trojan War stories. It includes all of the key tales from the Trojan War epic cycle, including the judgment of Paris, the death of Achilles, the stories of Ajax (Aias) and Philoctetes, the death of Paris, the fall of Troy, the death of Agamemnon, and the homecoming of Odysseus.

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching tale in the collection is the fate of the Trojan women. This story poignantly outlines the horror and anguish that afflict the innocent and unwilling participants of any war.

If you are planning to read The Iliad or The Odyssey, then I highly recommend you read this book first. It provides the proper context for Homer, and it familiarize you with all of the major characters.

If you HAVE read The Iliad or The Odyssey and are craving more Trojan War stuff, then this book will fill in a lot of gaps and point you to other source materials (Quintus, Sophocles, Euripides, Virgil, etc).

A Tale of Troy is oriented toward middle school students, but that in no way diminishes its power or charm for adult readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also recommend "A Tale of Troy" by Roger Greene, and "The Siege and Fall of Troy" by Robert Graves (out of print).

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME, February 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Trojan War (Paperback)

I had to read this book for my English class. As one of the earlier reviews said you can't tell where everything is taking place, you actually can. If you pay close attention to what's happening you can clearly see where everything is taking place. This book does a good job of using the Iliad and the Odyssey and mixing them together into one story. I highly recomend you to read this book.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid introduction for older children, February 26, 2000

By 

Thomas H Steinberg "Tom Steinberg" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Trojan War (Paperback)

I just finished reading this book to my son, who is eight. We both enjoyed it immensely and it turned out to be a good introduction to the ancient Greek world for him. It weaves a suprising amount of material into an exciting narrative that retains focus well enough so that we never lost track of where we were. The different personalities came through well, and there was a sufficient amount of action and gore to get his mind off Pokemon temporarily...