Description

Discover the most legendary story ever told in the SUNDAY TIMES bestseller TROY, Stephen Fry’s most epic book yet

‘An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry’s narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales’ OBSERVER

‘An amiable meander through the myth of Troy’ TIMES

‘Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .’
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The story of Troy speaks to all of us.

It is the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, which sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against that great city, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.

It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and nature takes its course.

It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. The Greeks cannot defeat the Trojans – since Achilles, the Greek’s boldest warrior, is consumed with jealousy over an ally’s choice of lover and will not fight . . .

The stage is set for the oldest and greatest story ever told, where monstrous passions meet the highest ideals and the lowest cunning.

In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.

Troy is a myth in which we seek the truth about ourselves, which Stephen Fry brings breathtakingly to life for our modern age.

*** NOW COMES WITH A PROTECTIVE DUST JACKET ***
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‘Fry’s knowledge of the world – ancient and modern – bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world’s greatest story’ DAILY TELEGRAPH

PRAISE FOR MYTHOS AND HEROES:

‘A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased’ Times

‘A head-spinning marathon of legends’ Guardian

‘An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry – his myths are definitely a hit’ Evening Standard

‘An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry’ Daily Mail

‘A rollicking good read’ Independent

Publisher Review

A wondrous new immersion in ancient stories we only thought we knew. Brilliant, funny, erudite, inventive, surprising and enthralling — Richard North Patterson Lively, humorous and intimate, this retelling has real charm * The Guardian * Perfect for the 21st Century. Ebullient, funny, Fry retells the Greek myths with elegance * The Times * Fry’s lively writing certainly conveys his lifelong passion for Greek myths…It’s a rollicking good read * The Independent * Praise for Stephen Fry