Customer Reviews

THE ULYSSES VOYAGE - Sea Search for the Odyssey

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4 star:		(1)
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Tim Severin's "The Ulysses Voyage" is more than a fascinating adventure/detective story. It is, above all, a fine piece of scholarship, marshalling evidence from Homer, from a modern understanding of the geology and meteorology in Ulysses's time, and from what is known about local myths to construct a convincing account of the reality behind Homer's wondrous tale. The book, which includes color photographs of the likely waypoints on Ulysses' journey, inspired me to visit some of these waypoints, myself. I've now been to the land of the Cyclops and had coffee with the local expert Tim Severin spoke with, visited the Isle of Aeolius, and snorkeled in the bay where the Laestrygonians destroyed all but one of Ulysses'last 12 boats. "The Ulysses Voyage" is among the most valued books in my collection. Others of Severin's books are not far behind.

I read this book many years ago, and it gave me a new perspective on the Odyssey. Tim Severin is an adventurer, but here he is searching for a reality behind the old myths. He does it in a very convincing as well as entertaining manner. As the Iliad was brought from the sphere of myths back to history by the discovery of the ruins of Troy, Tim Severin's re-tracing of a route from Troy to Ithaca, at least in my mind has turned the Odyssey into a historical event.

Tim Severin's writing style is both accessible and informative. Stuffed full of exacting detail and brought to life by vivid writing and beautiful color photography, this book was a joy to read. Severin's journey (he uses the same boat that he used in his previous book on the Jason voyage) brings Odysseus to life. I have always been a fan of The Odyssey, and Severin's book really enlightens the geography of the voyage, as well as the character of the voyagers. The thesis of the journey is well explained and explored for both its strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the journey one can really see the life of the ancient mariner, the legends surrounding their lives, and the epic cycle as it morphed through history.

I would recommend finding this book and holding onto it. There aren't many like it out there.

One of the best books I've ever read; I've given it as a gift several times. Set in the Aegean and Mediterranean, it attempts to discover whatever truths underlie the ancient journey recounted in the Odyssey. It weaves in a good bit of the history of archaeology - Heinrich Schliemann's discovery of historic Troy, for instance - and is, overall, just plain fascinating. If you have even a passing interest in history, archaeology, boating, or The Odyssey, you'll love it.

i am producer and i look for to join Tim Severin i work on Ulysse's documentary and i would like to known if Tim Severin get always his boat called Argos.

Thanks a lot

Hervé