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Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore
 
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Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore (Hardcover)

by Bettany Hughes (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd; 1st Edition edition (6 Oct 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0224071777
  • ISBN-13: 978-0224071772
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 4.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 411,478 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

"The book triumphantly reclaims Helen from some of her traducers. Hughes's portrait is as close to a real, living Helen as we are likely to get."
-"Financial Times"
"When Helen launched her "thousand ships," was she a "shameless hussy?" Or, like her mother, was she a rape victim? . . . The answers have always depended on who you speak to and when. Hughes has them all."
-"The Times"
"Hughes skillfully brings this period back to life. A fascinating window onto the power politics of an age . . . a genuinely exciting historical narrative."
-"Sunday Telegraph."

"From the Trade Paperback edition."



Sunday Telegraph

'Hughes skilfully brings this period back to life. A fascinating window on to the power politics of an age.'
See all Product Description

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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 (7)
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2 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Helen Unbound, 7 Aug 2006
By Ealhstan (London) - See all my reviews
In every biography there is an element of myth but in Helen's case the myth is the story and Hughes brilliantly uses this as the starting point for her unique exploration of the making and meaning of Helen across human history. This is a wonderfully ranging read, moving across times and continents from the bronze age civilisation that kindled the first idea of Helen to the modern world that refuses to let her die. This is certainly not, and never could be, a `standard' biography but is instead a wonderful synthesis of archaeology, mythology and history and stands as a testament to the ever-changing image of Helen that we all still carry with us.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Meticulously researched, passionate entertaining and thought-provoking, 8 Mar 2007
By Charles R. Morcom (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore (Paperback)
History/biography is a very difficult genre which all too often gets clobbered by either the Scylla of turgid style, overly dense footnotes and too much detail or the Charybdis of superficiality and crowd-pleasing. Hughes' 'Helen' brilliantly steers herself past both with a witty, engaging and passionate style and ample, but not excess, detail to back up her ideas.
The book is a dazzling exploration of Bronze Age history and, particularly, the role of women in it which is threaded on a figure who is universally known and relevant today. The trick of imagining and pursuing Helen as a real person gives a cogency, life and focus to a field which might otherwise have little or no appeal to a modern non-academic audience. Furthermore, combining that history with an analysis of how views of Helen have changed and developed over time gives an essential cultural context for the whole exercise. All-in-all, easily one of the best history books I have ever read.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched and insightful, 27 Oct 2006
By Klytaimestra (Scotland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore (Paperback)
I think some of the reviews of this book are rather harsh, probably owing to snobbery over the author's TV work and colourful (ie, not dusty) writing style.

This book is a brave and highly readable attempt to explore the many manifestations of Helen. Hughes certainly does not jump erratically but sets out each chapter clearly, fulfilling her intentions nicely. She would have failed if she stuck to merely the classical Helen, Medieval Helen, prehistoric Helen, or whichever.

Hughes has clearly done plenty of research. Not only is ancient history her specialism, but more importantly she has travelled extensively in researching her passion for the ancient world. The book is full of fascinating anecdotes about her journeys and her trips to the museums and galleries of the world. Her enthusiasm shines through on every page.

The thing that I liked best about this book was the evocative way that Hughes brings the Mycenaean world to life: the sights, smells and sounds. She paints a tantalising picture of how life might have been for a high-born Mycenaean woman.

Worth reading for its insights and simply because it is entertaining.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I felt like a time traveller: marvellous
"Helen of Troy" tells the story of one of the most famous women in history: Helen of Sparta, better known from Homer's Iliad as Helen of Troy. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Basileus

5.0 out of 5 stars biography, history, myth...
History is one of those genres that is impossible to pin down. It is what informs us of ourselves, helping us to discover who we really are. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ems

5.0 out of 5 stars History, mythology, archeology and paleo-social science
Bettany Hughes is one of the most able and articulate writers on ancient history we have; and this is a fine example of her work. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jules

4.0 out of 5 stars Ah, but where's she buried
The first half of this book is very enjoyable. Bettany Hughes does quite a good job in following in the footsteps of Michael Wood, but her slant is different. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2007 by Miss Murgatroyd

5.0 out of 5 stars All you need to know about Helen in one amazing book!
This book provides all one needs to know about mythical Helen. It has great insights into Greek Mythology (something I'm quite a fan of) and it also deals with the expectations of... Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2006 by Roberta

1.0 out of 5 stars Flawed argument and bad history
What is Hughes trying to do here? That was the question I kept being forced to ask myself reading this, and by the end I still didn't know! Read more
Published on 21 Jul 2006 by Roman Clodia

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect History
Helen is that rare thing - a female character who travels through three millennia of human history. Hughes is the first author brave enough to take her on. Read more
Published on 30 May 2006 by loverofgoodbooks

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting idea
The book has a very interesting basic idea - to use Helen of Troy to explore the lives of women in Greece at the time. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2006 by Jane Carter

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