The Iliad and the Odyssey

This iconic edition of The Iliad and the Odyssey, illustrated by the renowned Alice and Martin Provensen, is a superb introduction to Homer’s Greek classics and to the world of Greek myth. In this clear, engaging retelling, we first meet the minstrel who holds a place of honor in the ancient world, our guide to the stories of gods and men that follow. Then the whole panoply of gods and mortal cast of characters is brought to life by the Provensens. Here is Zeus, king of the gods, peering down from Olympus on the Greek warriors bravely disembarking from their ship to attack the Trojans and win back Helen, stolen by Paris, prince of Troy. Here, preceding the story of the Iliad, is an informative map of the Aegean Sea flanked by Greece and Troy, marking each allied and vanquished territory and the homes of the warrior kings; and preceding the Odyssey, a map of the world in Homer’s time, marked with the Land of the Lotus Eaters, the Land of the Fearful Giants, and all the other real and fanciful lands in between. The heroic and tragic story of the Iliad and the fabulous adventures of Odysseus are memorably recounted and illustrated in this bold and expressive rendition of two of the greatest stories ever told. NYRB Kids is proud to bring this beloved classic back into print for a new generation of readers.