Series: The World's Greatest Myths and Legends

Alexander the Great was undefeated in battle and is considered to be one of history's most successful military commanders. In 336 BCE, Alexander died when he was only thirty-two. His military campaigns had swept across Ancient Greece, through Asia Minor, Arabia, Persia, Egypt, and North Africa to North West India, forging one of the largest empires in recorded history. He...

From the beating heart of Central Africa comes a collection to join East African, West African and Southern African folktales. Featuring stories such as The Prince Who Insisted on Possessing the Moon, The Dog Came to Live with Man, The Legend of the Cunning Terrapin and the Crane, tales from Central Africa share many aspects of the themes across the...

Capturing the exquisite and the powerful, the wise and innocent stories from Ancient China, each bursting with life and virtue. Chinese Folktales is drawn from over three thousand years of storytelling, with early legends of the gods and heroes, weird mysteries of sorcery and elemental forces, tales of the land and the animals within, and delightful sketches of love. Fantasy...

Cyrus the Great created the first Persian Empire and remains one of the world's most impressive rulers and military campaigners. Cyrus the Great established the first Persian Empire in the 500s BCE, solidifying his status as one of the greatest founders of empire and order. He successfully conquered all major civilisations in his region, with his influence extending from the...

The determined and lively Czech people offer their lively perspectives on life through their vivid folk and fairy tales. The Czech people trace their roots through medieval Bohemia and further back to the ancient Western Slavs before the start of the Viking Age. Their lively stories are parables and moral fables, rich with satire and the weave of determination in...

The myths of ancient Egypt are intimately tied to the presence and natural rhythms of the Nile. With an animalistic mythology, the Egyptians explained the effects of famine, harvest, floods, and death by creating a pantheon of gods that still holds our fascination today. This new book of classic tales brings the stories of the ancients to life. From the...

The classic medieval tale that brings romance, chivalry and adventure to the modern reader, Gawain and the Green Knight inspired the powerful 2021 movie, Green Knight. A mighty warrior interrupts King Arthur's banquet to challenge the astonished revellers to a binding act of combat. Out of sheer bravado, Gawain leaps to the fray and his actions lead to a series...

From the crossroads of Central Europe come Hungarian stories of adventure, morality, everyday life, fairies, and magic. Hungary nestles in the crossroads of Europe, and so Hungarian culture shares elements from West and East, with a rich tradition of folk beliefs and folktales that have been passed down through the generations. This delightful collection gathers together tales told by the...

Icelandic Folktales are the close cousins of Viking fairy stories, although perhaps a little darker in their tone, but they share many of the same themes of innocence and trickery, triumph of good sense over pride, and all with a strong moral message. One particular characteristic, though, is that often the prince is rescued by the princess who has suffered...

The mysterious tale of a great leader, martyred for her cause, and often regarded as a woman beyond her time. Patron saint, visionary, defender of a nation, political symbol, feminist icon, martyr—Joan of Arc is all these things and more. A saviour of France who would be burned at the stake, her gripping story has inspired countless works of literature,...

Korean Folktales offers a captivating journey into everyday folk and fairy tales from Korea, featuring magicians, magistrates, mischievous creatures, and devious sprites. This delightful collection is organized into four sections: Love, Marriage & Family; Powerful Spirits & Mystical Realms; The Magical & the Supernatural; and Tales of Animals & Mythical Creatures. The collection brings together a mix of heart-warming tales...

Myths of Babylon delves into the enchanting world of Babylonian myths, which were inherited in Mesopotamia from the Sumerians and influenced by the ancient Assyrians. These myths represent a pinnacle of human achievement around 1800 BC, capturing the profound struggles and triumphs of humankind. Within this book, readers will encounter the epic tales of humankind battling the elements in their...

Queen Cleopatra had the rare distinction of connecting three great cultures. She was born of an ancient Greek Dynasty that stretched back to the time of Alexander the Great. As the last Pharaoh of Egypt, she ruled before the once mighty kingdom became a vassal state under the all-powerful Roman Empire in the first century BCE. Cleopatra is regarded as...

Regarded as the greatest of all Pharaohs, Ramses II reigned at the height of Ancient Egypt's power and influence. He led military campaigns with his father from a young age, married at 15, eventually amassing over 200 wives and concubines and over 150 children, and lived to the age of roughly 95 years old. He expanded the territory of his...

The fables, folklore, and fairy tales of Rome are definitely not the more familiar myths and legends with their pantheon of gods. Within these pages of Roman Folktales, you'll find stories and fears of the everyday, observations on the world around us, often poking fun at those in authority, and laughing at the proud and haughty. Explore delightful tales including...

The heroic, poetic, powerful tales of Serbian folklore reflect the nature of ancient South Slavic peoples. Stories of the Serbian people are both poetic and strident, reflecting their proud heritage as Southern Slavs, who, in the years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, swept South, taking over the lands of the once great Ancient Greeks, the Latins, and...

Slavic Myths brings together the legends, folklore, and fairy tales of Eastern Europe in this intriguing new collection. With a new introduction, this collection of Slavic tales is based on the oral storytelling traditions of the peoples of Eastern Europe, from the Polish and the Slovaks to the Macedonians, Czechs, and Serbians. These stories have roots in pagan folklore and...

From the Zambezi river to the Cape of Good Hope come stories of the heavens, tricksters, revenge, and transformation from the many peoples of Southern Africa. Southern African Folktales showcases a region of impressive diversity: from forests to deserts, coasts to mountains, and subtropical to temperate climates. This area is home to peoples such as the Zulu, Pedi, and Venda,...

A foundation stone of European literature, linking Norse, Celtic, and Arthurian myth, The Tale of Beowulf is also a terrific read! The Tale of Beowulf is an epic poem probably written in the 900s CE. It tells of events 600 years prior in vivid detail, where the hero, Beowulf, is entreated to help a king defend his halls against the...

The classic medieval tale that brings romance, chivalry, and adventure to the modern reader. Alongside Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, Tristan and Isolde's tale of doomed love is a classic medieval story whose themes of love, betrayal, honour, and courage have weathered the test of time. Modern movies, theatre, and Wagnerian opera productions tell many variations of the...

Turkish Folktales brings the stories of Asia, Europe, and Arabia into a unique melting pot of fables, fairy tales, and folklore. This collection of Turkish folk tales is curious and bizarre, beautiful and delightful, combining elements of ancient Anatolian folklore with Slavonic, Scandinavian, and Arabian influences. Entertaining and exuberant, these tales put to shame the more prosaic fairy stories of...

Character-forming moral fables, Viking and Nordic folk and fairy tales take the magic of the natural world and combine it with the practical common sense of the everyday. Good folk are rewarded for their hard work, the honest and the faithful are valued by the gods. Treasured tales from Hans Christian Andersen, such as 'The Little Match Girl', and less...