Classical Mythology A to Z: An Encyclopedia of Gods & Goddesses, Heroes & Her...

I happened to see a hardcover version of this book and was SORELY tempted to buy it on the spot. It is beautifully put together in terms of binding, quality of paper, type. The illustrations are OK, but most are modern stuff. Not to my taste. I am not really knowledgeable about art, but I wish the illustrations were more "classical," and then I wish there were more than 10. Most important though: It is packed with information. But I have too many books in our small house, so I held back. When I saw the Kindle version, I ordered it. Very happy. There is only one thing (I think) missing in the Kindle version: the detailed index with cross-referencing. The print copy has it. I imagine it was left out of the Kindle version because you can search the Kindle book electronically. I noticed one reviewer mentioned being disappointed because there was no entry for Nyx (Night). I found the entry for Nyx in the print copy index. Information about Nyx is scattered through several articles, so actually the Kindle search works better. You get a list of links, which you can tap and go to. And you don't have to flip back and forth from index to Hesperides, where the book has a sentence about Hesiod, who refers to the deities Nyx and Erebus; then index to Eridanus, then index to Thanatos (to learn that death was the son of Nyx and brother of Hypnus), then Index to Appendix. Yeah, the search works a lot better. I was going to give the Kindle book 4-stars because of the missing index, but I think 4.5. And at the end of each article are cross references. Like at the end of the 4 1/4 page article on "Hesperides," you will find: "(See also Aphrodite, Argonauts [the], Atalanta, Athena, Atlas, Eridanus River [the] . . ." and 23 other references to articles in the book, ending with " . . . Troy and Zeus." They are not links, but in an alphabetically arranged book, you can easily get to each listed article. The only other thing that would be nice to have (especially in a book with a section on places and landmarks): a few maps. Also small but important: the Kindle version has PAGE NUMBERS!!! The Kindle page numbers don't quite match the hardcover page numbers. But I still love page numbers. I've only spent a couple of hours with the book. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a joy to dip into again and again. I only wish I could pass it on to my grandchildren.

This work is a gem to have! Many books claiming "a-z" coverage on the subject of Classical mythology either concentrate on only the most well-known mythical figures and places or are difficult for non-experts to navigate. "Classical Mythology A-Z" will find a happy home on the shelves of new and seasoned fans of mythology alike. Entries range from the "big names" (e.g. Zeus, Achilles, Athena) to far lesser-known figures (e.g. Deidamia, Poeas, Nephele) with ample cross-referencing to aid even the most casual reader of Classical myths. Separate entries for Jupiter (Roman) and Zeus (Greek) is one small indication of the care taken to represent figures accurately. What I particularly like are the efforts to arrange the book's entries by categories: "Gods, Goddesses, Spirits, and Nymphs"; "Heroes, Heroines, and Peoples"; "Monsters, Prodigies, and Hybrid Creatures"; and "Places and Landmarks". The author includes easy to read double-page family trees (I struggle when publishers try to squeeze these on a single small page), a glossary, and full indices for easy navigation of the wild seas of Classical myth. Like some other reviews, I'll add that the book is also aesthetically beautiful, including wonderfully illustrated plates (I'm half-tempted to cut some out and frame them...seriously!).

I thought that it would have a little more story format for each character but this is very basic reference for nearly any character I could think of. Maybe get another book for main gods and demi-gods reference story as a companion. Like Hercules is listed as is everyone in his labors but his actual labors weren’t discussed in detail enough to understand what was going on. Don’t get me wrong it a wonderful resource and does have wonderful information. I might call it more of a glossary of characters than encyclopedia

I bought this, simply because I am obsessed with Greek mythology. Have been since I was a child. I have about 20 years of research that I've personally invested in the subject. I have notebooks upon notebooks full of the Greek myths. That being said, I find this book to be very insightful. I read a few comments saying the author left out some important figures, such as NYX. While this is true, the content is still very true to traditional myths. It's not trying to sell you something by pretend to be something that it's not. It is what it is. And honestly, I love it!! This is a beautiful book with beautiful illustrations. A great combination. Down to the detail in the borders of the pages. This book is permanently on display in my home. For those upset about some characters being left out, I completely understand. But this is very few I have noticed. The author did a fantastic job, in my personal and obsessive opinion. I definitely recommend this!!

I bought this book used, so the cover did come a little wrinkled, torn, and dirty. However, I've been fascinated by mythology for some time, and this book is one of my favorites so far. It's great reading this book to dig deeper and gain more insight into the deities. I love the design of the book, the organization, the pages, the art, and the family trees. It's a great addition to the collection.

Girlfriend loves it and there’s so much information

Very useful

This book is organized in several sections, such as the Greek gods, the Roman gods, then other people, and places. Each section is alphabetized. It is easy to use, and the information is thorough. You do have to flip around a bit to check each section if you aren't sure what category you need to look in, but it's not that hard. My daughter is 11, and we just finished covering ancient Greece and ancient Rome, as well as reading the Percy Jackson series of books, and this book is helping her look up characters and learn more about them when her curiosity is piqued. Excellent addition to our research materials.