100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Thanks for supporting our NZ-owned independent bookstore ❀️ Overnight NZ Delivery πŸš€

Goddesses

A History of Love and War
Brief Description
A groundbreaking history of the ancient goddesses of love and war The figure of a goddess who represents both love and war can be found in cultures across the ancient world. These societies were all polytheistic and all worshipped such deities as Venus, Freya, and the... Read More
Format: Hardback
$4999
Elsewhere:
$5999
Pre-order
Releases 27th October 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Goddesses" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

A groundbreaking history of the ancient goddesses of love and war

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A groundbreaking history of the ancient goddesses of love and war

The figure of a goddess who represents both love and war can be found in cultures across the ancient world. These societies were all polytheistic and all worshipped such deities as Venus, Freya, and the Morrigan. What was it about this model of divine femininity that ancient people in Europe and the Near East found so attractive?

In this vivid account, Ronald Hutton traces the history of eight key goddesses in ancient societies. Looking at the Sumerian Inanna, ancient Greek Aphrodite, and Egyptian Hathor, amongst others, Hutton compares the characters of these female deities and examines how and why such a figure reoccurred so often. Ranging from Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine to western Europe, this fascinating story provides a deeper understanding of two of the most powerful and intractable human impulses: love and war.

Goddesses by Ronald Hutton is a compelling exploration of this ancient phenomenon.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300290721

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 27 October 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 18 b-w illus. + 1 map

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Ronald Hutton is professor of history at Bristol University and a leading authority on the British Isles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, on ancient and medieval paganism and magic, and on the global context of witchcraft beliefs. He is the author of twenty books.

Also by Ronald Hutton

View all
  • Blood and Mistletoe
    Crushed by the Romans in the first century A.D., the ancient Druids of Britain left almost no reliable evidence behind. Because of this, historian Ronald Hutton shows, succeeding British generations have been free to reimagine, reinterpret, and reinvent the Druids. Hutton’s captivating book is the first to encompass two thousand years of Druid history and to explore the evolution of...
    Paperback
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Oliver Cromwell: Commander in Chief
    The second volume in an acclaimed biography of Oliver Cromwell, from the capture of Charles I to the expulsion of the Long Parliament. In 1647, the Parliamentarians were divided. They had won the first civil war and the king was in custody, but disagreements over the way forward had led to a stalemate. As the leader of one party, Oliver...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Pagan Britain
    Britain's pagan past, with its mysterious monuments, atmospheric sites, enigmatic artefacts, bloodthirsty legends, and cryptic inscriptions, is both enthralling and perplexing to a resident of the twenty-first century. In this ambitious and thoroughly up-to-date book, Pagan Britain, Ronald Hutton reveals the long development, rapid suppression, and enduring cultural significance of paganism, from the Paleolithic era to the coming of Christianity....
    Paperback
    $3599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Making of Oliver Cromwell
    The first volume in a pioneering account of Oliver Cromwellβ€”providing a major new interpretation of one of the greatest figures in history β€œHutton’s book is intelligent, well documented, and stylish.”—Keith Thomas, New York Review of Books The Making of Oliver Cromwell by Ronald Hutton explores the life of Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658), the only English commoner to become the overall head...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Witch
    Why have societies all across the world feared witchcraft? This book delves deeply into its context, beliefs, and origins in Europe’s history. "Traces the idea of witches far beyond the Salem witch trials to beliefs and attitudes about witches around the world throughout history.”—Los Angeles Times The Witch came to prominenceβ€”and often a painful deathβ€”in early modern Europe, yet her...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Queens of the Wild
    A concise history of the goddess-like figures who evade both Christian and pagan traditions, from the medieval period to the present day. In this riveting account, renowned scholar Ronald Hutton explores the history of deity-like figures in Christian Europe. Drawing on anthropology, archaeology, literature, and history, Hutton shows how hags, witches, the Fairy Queen, and the Green Man all came...
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Oliver Cromwell: Commander in Chief
    The second volume in an acclaimed biography of Oliver Cromwell, from the capture of Charles I to the expulsion of the Long Parliament In 1647, the Parliamentarians were divided. They had won the first civil war and the king was in custody, but disagreements over the way forward had led to a stalemate. As the leader of one party, Oliver...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles
    This is the first survey of religious beliefs in the British Isles from the Old Stone Age to the coming of Christianity, one of the least familiar periods in Britain's history. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton draws upon a wealth of new data, much of it archaeological, that has transformed interpretation over the past...
    Paperback
    $8399
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Royalist War Effort 1642-1646
    The English Civil War remains the most prolonged and traumatic example of internal violence in the history of the state. This book shows how such war was achieved and sustained, and how ultimately it was won and lost. In a new introduction to this second edition, the author places his vivid account of the royalist war effort into modern historical...
    Paperback
    $17100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from History & Military

View all
  • On Sale
    12% off
    Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Betrayal
    β€˜Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The World of the Odyssey & Other Greek Myths
    This jigsaw brings together Odysseus' famed journey in one epic scene. Each reference from the tale is highlighted and explained in an accompanying fold-out poster with text by an expert author. 1000-PIECE PUZZLE that measures 48.5 x 68 cm (19 x 27 in.) when completed. INCLUDES A FOLD-OUT POSTER with an introduction to the Odyssey and descriptions of all the...
    Jigsaw
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Chief and the Empire
    The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Women's Prize Winner
    The Finest Hotel in Kabul
    The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Kabul opened in 1969, Afghanistan's first luxury hotel symbolised a dream of a modernising country connected to the world. More than fifty years on, the Inter-Continental is still standing. It has endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Goliath’s Curse
    Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Biological War
    New Release
    Biological War
    There is an invisible weapon among us. By the time you know you are a victim, it has turned you into a killer. A blistering new non-fiction thriller from the Baillie Gifford shortlisted author of Nuclear War (200,000 copies sold). A lab accident, a bio-attack, a global pandemic, and the collapse of human society. In this essential new book, based...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.