"The first great adventure story in the Western canon, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. In this fresh, authoritative version--the first English translation of The Odyssey by a woman--this stirring tale of shipwrecks, monsters, and magic comes alive in an entirely new way. Written in iambic pentameter verse...

Dr. Vandiver introduces the great epic of ancient Greeks, the Iliad. She addresses critical and interpretative issues, and gives background information on cultural assumptions.

Professor Vandiver makes it clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the Homeric epics remain not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told, but also two of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written. Questions include, why does Odysseus long so powerfully to go home? What are the limits of our freedom? Who or what shapes our actions and our ends? What holds people together and keeps them going--or drives them apart...