In Search of Myths and Heroes (Hardcover)

+

+

Price For All Three: £28.12

Show availability and shipping details

• This item: In Search of Myths and Heroes by Michael Wood

  In stock.
  Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
  This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
  

• In Search of the First Civilizations by Michael Wood

  In stock.
  Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
  This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
  

• In Search Of The Dark Ages by Michael Wood

  In stock.
  Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
  This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
  

In Search of the First Civilizations by Michael Wood 4.6 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.99

In Search Of The Dark Ages by Michael Wood 4.6 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.99

The Story of India by Michael Wood 4.0 out of 5 stars (6)  £6.99

In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great by Michael Wood 3.7 out of 5 stars (7)  £8.09

Conquistadors by Michael Wood 4.8 out of 5 stars (8)

› Explore similar items

Product Description
Michael Wood goes in search of four of the most famous myths in the world: Shangri-la, the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba, and the Holy Grail. These four romantic journeys take him to some of the remotest and most exciting places on earth including Western Tibet, the mountains of Georgia and the Caucasus, the plains of Southern Iraq, to the coasts of Ethiopia Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Michael asks the question: why do such legends still captivate us today? Over the last twenty years, from "In Search of the Trojan War" to his epic journeys in the footsteps of "Alexander the Great" and the "Conquistadors", Michael Wood has taken the TV audience, and the reader, on romantic and compelling journeys into the past. In his new series and book "In Search of Myths and Heroes", he goes in search of four of the most famous myths in the world: Shangri-la, the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba, and the Holy Grail. The journeys take him to some of the remotest and most exciting places on earth - to the fantastic landscapes of Western Tibet, to the mountains of Georgia and the Caucasus, to the plains of Southern Iraq, and to the coasts of Ethiopia Yemen and the Horn of Africa. The stories will also take in Greece and Turkey, India and Nepal, Egypt and Israel, and the world of Celtic Britain and the West of Ireland: What is the truth behind the medieval Indian legend of a lost civilisation behind the western Himalayas - a place where the ancient wisdom of humanity was preserved to save it from our future? The legend was immortalised in James Hilton's novel about Shangri-la, and by Hollywood in Frank Capra's movie Lost Horizon. But, why do such legends still captivate us today? And, was there a real Shangri-la? What lies behind the Bible story of the Queen of Sheba, King Solomon, and the Ark of the Covenant? The tale is found in both the Jewish Bible and the Muslim Koran, and the Queen of Sheba is still revered today in the sacred books of the Ethiopians, who claim her as the founder of their nation: but who was she? And, why was the trade route from the Holy Land and Egypt to the Horn of Africa so important to the ancients? Where does the ancient Greek legend of Jason's search for the Golden Fleece come from? The tale is the ultimate quest, older even than Homer's "Iliad and Odyssey". But, was there really an expedition beyond the limits of the known world back in the mists of prehistory, before the Trojan War? And, why is the hero's quest one of the core human stories, from the first literature on earth, to the latest Hollywood epic? What was the Holy Grail? How did the search for this ultimate religious symbol come to be connected with Arthur, the once and future king? Was there a real Grail? A real King Arthur? And, why does the quest for the Grail, still obsess us even today, from New Agers and mystics to Monty Python and Indiana Jones? Illustrated with a wonderful series of specially commissioned photographs by the Himalayan author, photographer and mountaineer Steve Razzetti, "Great Mysteries" is at once a book of great journeys, a historical adventure, and an exploration of some of humanity's most enduring myths. Chapter breakdown includes: Introduction; Chapter 1 - A journey from India through Nepal to Tibet in search of the legend of Shangri-la; Chapter 2 - A journey from Greece through the Black Sea to the Caucasus in search of the legend of the Golden Fleece; Chapter 3 - A journey from Jerusalem down the Red Sea to Ethiopia and the Yemen in search of the legend of the Queen of Sheba; Chapter 4 - A journey through the British Isles and Ireland in search of the legend of king Arthur; and Epilogue.

3 Reviews 5 star:    (0) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 2.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   22 of 25 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, but somehow lacking in vitality., 16 Mar 2005 By  Budge Burgess (Kilmarnock, Scotland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    It's a shame - this is a book I would love to have loved, but it doesn't really inspire me the way it could. Michael Wood has done some sterling stuff exploring prehistory and archaeology, and he has been responsible for some highly intelligent and well argued television. He doesn't fail here, far from it. Wood looks at the way myths have been created and handed down the days. He strips back centuries of obfuscation and narrative embellishment, searching out the reality which underpins the myths. It is like searching for some embryonic human form or rationale within a sarcophagus of rumour, legend, myth, and partial history. This is fabulous stuff - the stuff of fable ... and the stuff of science and research. Every practising historian or archaeologist, every practising social scientist, every student of these subjects or enthusiast needs to be aware of the power of rumour, legend, fable, and myth. We are not so sophisticated a people that we exist only within a realm of logic, à la Mr.Spock. Wood provides a visually and intellectually stimulating enquiry into how fact can become corrupted into fantasy. Myth and story still play a fundamental part in human life, still shape the way we perceive, remember, and understand the world. It's a good series, it's a good idea, it is excellent, essential instruction. And yet, it doesn't quite pick me up and inspire me the way some of his earlier television has. Maybe Wood has set too high a standard? It's a good book, it's a stimulating and enjoyable ... and accessible ... read. But the theme is too specific, perhaps too fascinating in its own right - the choice of the four examples of myth seems interesting, but it just doesn't quite jell ... well, certainly not for me. If you're a fan of Michael Wood, you'll enjoy this ... but it's not his best. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars In search of myths and heroes - Michael Wood, 26 Jan 2006 By  David Lazzari (Jerrabomberra NSW) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    As I've said before on this site I'm a great fan of Michael Wood’s histories. However I agree with another reviewer in that this book does not reach the very high standards of his previous books. My biggest whinge about this book concerns one of the subjects – King Arthur. Michael Wood has covered the Arthurian legend in greater depth in two of his other books and I found the story in this book repetitive. However if this is your first read of Michael Wood then enjoy it but do yourself a favour and get some of his other works – In search of Shakespeare and In search of the Trojan War, in particular, are much better. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 1.0 out of 5 stars Really Poor, 15 Oct 2006 By  R. P. Sedgwick "Grim Rob" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)       This book is neither a history book nor a travel book, it falls between the two camps and fails in both respects. Only in the trip to the Himalayas does Michael Wood really describe any travelling at all, in the rest of the book you are occasionally reminded that that's what nominally is supposed to have happened. The truth is most of it could have been written sat at home, and there is no sense at all at having arrived anywhere with the exception of the first item about the Himalayas. As to the historical matter I found it utterly bland and boring on the whole. Some of the photos are good though! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 3 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

Politically Incorrect: A list by Barry Tighe "Author The Spawater Chronicles, Gieves to the Fore"   Intellectually stimulating TV documentary series: A list by Hooligween "Rowena the Red"   Things I Recommend: A list by Maryanne Hidalgo Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

• Books > History > Other Historical Subjects > Historians > Wood, Michael
• Books > Mind, Body & Spirit
• Books > Travel & Holiday

• Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
• I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
• I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.