Warner, Rex

These tales cover the range of Greek mythology, including the creation story of Deucalion and Pyrrha, the heroic adventures of Perseus, the fall of Icarus, Cupid and Psyche's tale of love, and the tragic history of Oedipus and Thebes.

The China Voyage is the extraordinary story of how Tim Severin and his crew made maritime history by sailing across the Pacific on a bamboo raft. Their purpose: to test the theory that Asian raft sailors reached America some 2,000 years ago. Their experience provides armchair adventurers with one of the most remarkable sea voyages ever, and offers a unique perspective of what happens when historical theories are literally put to the test. For 105 days Hsu Fu edged eastward, contending with fog, gales, snapped spars and ribbing, and the gnawing of bamboo beetles eating the very fabric of the raft. Semi-submerged, the crew became part of the sea itself: companions to the birds, fish, and whales that lived alongside them. Broken ribs, a meeting with a killer whale, and the steady deterioration of the raft are all part of this remarkable tale, masterfully told in Severin's unique blend of scholarship, narrative, and good humor.

Dramatic artist, natural scientist and philosopher, Plutarch is widely regarded as the most significant historian of his era, writing sharp and succinct accounts of the greatest politicians and statesman of the classical period. Taken from the Lives, a series of biographies spanning the Graeco-Roman age, this collection illuminates the twilight of the old Roman Republic from 157-43 bc. Whether describing the would-be dictators Marius and Sulla, the battle between Crassus and Spartacus, the death of political idealist Crato, Julius Caesar's harrowing triumph in Gaul or the eloquent oratory of Cicero, all offer a fascinating insight into an empire wracked by political divisions. Deeply influential on Shakespeare and many other later writers, they continue to fascinate today with their exploration of corruption, decadence and the struggle for ultimate power.

Written four hundred years before the birth of Christ, this detailed contemporary account of the long life-and-death struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling its author's ambitious claim. Thucydides himself (c.460-400 BC) was an Athenian and achieved the rank of general in the earlier stages of the war. He applied thereafter a passion for accuracy and a contempt for myth and romance in compiling this factual record of a disastrous conflict.

A biography of the English novelist, essayist, and literary critic known for such works as a "A Room With A View," "Howards End," and "A Passage To India."