Short description
Focusing on the real Helen of Troy (the possibility of a flesh-and-blood Helen), acclaimed historian Bettany Hughes reconstructs the context of life in the Bronze Age Greece for one of the most enigmatic and notorious figures of all time.
Long description
For 3,000 years, the woman known as Helen of Troy has been both the ideal symbol of beauty and a reminder of the terrible power beauty can wield.
In her search for the identity behind this mythic figure, acclaimed historian Bettany Hughes uses Homer's account of Helen's life to frame her own investigation. Tracing the cultural impact that Helen has had on both the ancient world and Western civilization, Hughes explores Helen's role and representations in literature and in art throughout the ages. This is a masterly work of historical inquiry about one of the world's most famous women.
Review
Dazzling. . . A look at the love match between beauty and power, displaying the archetypal 'trophy mistress to the modern world. - O, The Oprah Magazine
A divine biography. . . . Sizzling. . . . [Hughes], a young British historian, explores not only the Bronze Age babe but also what she has meant throughout history and the cultural significance of being both desired and despised. - USA Today
[Hughes'] multi-faceted, multi-hued, and multi-period portrait of la Belle Helene will capture the imagination of professional scholars and general readers alike. I cannot recommend it too strongly. -Professor Paul Cartledge, Cambridge University
Hughes brings a passion for ancient history and archaeology crossed with a strain of feminism to the figure of Helen. - The Washington Post Book World
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.