false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171687925m/114455.jpg 114455 6 <B>"Pure gold....One of the best books by this most versatile of writers."&#151;Penelope Lively</B> <P><I>"Troy meant one thing only to the men gathered here, as it did to their commanders. Troy was a dream of wealth; and if the wind continued the dream would crumble."</I> As the harsh wind holds the Greek fleet trapped in the straits at Aulis, frustration and political impotence turn into a desire for the blood of a young and innocent woman&#151;blood that will appease the gods and allow the troops to set sail. And when Iphigeneia, Agamemnon's beloved daughter, is brought to the coast under false pretences, and when a knife is fashioned out of the finest and most precious of materials, it looks as if the ships will soon be on their way. But can a father really go to these lengths to secure political victory, and can a daughter willingly give up her life for the worldly ambitions of her father? <P>Throwing off the heroic values we expect of them, Barry Unsworth's mythic characters embrace the political ethos of the twenty-first century and speak in words we recognize as our own. The blowhard Odysseus warns the men to not "marginalize" Agamemnon and to "strike while the bronze is hot." High-sounding principles clash with private motives, and dark comedy ensues. Here is a novel that stands the world on its head. 1344021 2002 The Songs of the Kings: A Novel total:84|5:22|4:39|3:16|2:5|1:2| 84 326 149 12 4 0 false false Fri Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Thu Aug 06 13:09:08 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 13:09:55 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 05 15:51:44 -0700 2007 Thu Nov 22 10:09:25 -0800 2007
Reviewers talk about how Unsworth uses the Iliad to draw out some of the inconsistencies of war in light of current e...more...]]> 0 0 false false Mon Aug 17 17:22:23 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 17:22:23 -0700 2009 here to find it in the catalogue.more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jul 11 15:34:01 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 11 15:35:34 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Wed Feb 18 08:29:42 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 11:28:05 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 08:29:42 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Mon Jul 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 05 07:29:06 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 05 07:30:14 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jun 10 15:26:29 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 10 15:26:29 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Mon Sep 14 12:25:33 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 12:25:33 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Mon Mar 16 18:18:14 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 16 18:18:14 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Wed Sep 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 20 10:38:17 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 20 10:44:08 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon May 21 07:27:14 -0700 2007 Mon May 21 07:30:48 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Mon Aug 03 08:37:01 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 11 20:14:24 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Nov 28 14:15:32 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 26 06:11:13 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 28 14:15:32 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Wed Nov 25 21:38:25 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 25 21:38:25 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 19 08:05:54 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 19 08:05:54 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 06 14:06:58 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 06 14:06:58 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 04 19:32:07 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 04 19:32:07 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 03 14:40:27 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 14:40:27 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Mon Nov 02 05:30:25 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 05:30:25 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Sat Oct 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 29 15:06:39 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 29 15:06:42 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=114455