The Trojan War

by Olivia E. Coolidge, Edouard Marcel Sandoz (Illustrator)

In this retelling of the Trojan War, Olivia Coolidge crafts heroes and gods into real, multidimensional characters, not just the figures of legend. Vibrant storytelling and finely wrought action have made her version of the classic tale of the Fall of Troy accessible to generations of young readers.

Genres: Classics, Mythology, History, School, Middle Grade, Childrens, Read For School

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Olivia Coolidge was born in London, England, in 1908. She received her education at Somerville College, Oxford University, where her main subjects included Latin, Greek, and philosophy. These studies helped her earn her place in the pantheon of children's literature through her mythological re-tellings demonstrating careful research and the adroit capacity to bring the past to life.

Reviews

[Tommy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read this book for school and boy oh boy was it a ride. People died left and right with little to no info after they died. There were like over 10million names that sounded so alike that I was confused the whole way through. Plus there were 2 characters with the same name that is Ajax!!!! It was boring for like 3/4 of the book and only got better towards the end as I new that my struggles were over from this very extraordinarily boring book that I would only wish upon my worst enemies’ enemies.

This book was actually okay it’s just that it was way longer then I could handle.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent children's edition of The Iliad. It rounds out the tale with stories from other Greek myths while keeping the feel and some of the language of Homer. I'd recommend it to anyone, adult or child, who wants to know the story without reading 500 pages of poetry. It keeps the more disturbing parts of the story--children dying, cruel betrayal, mistreatment of women--so it's probably not for young kids. Middle school.

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making ancient Troy and the associated gods and characters accessible to younger readers is a good reason to pick up this book. While aimed at teenagers and young adults, it's also worthwhile as a hard-to-put-down volume that reads like a soap opera.

Agamemnon, Achilles, Hector, and all are here, with dialogue and exposition made easy for the young reader. I found it fun to read, as a way to re-live Homer's tale all over again and to get in touch with my inner Greek gods.

A good book for a sunny day.

Book Season = Summer

[Amy de Raaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The price of glory is high indeed, for it is always bought by death." ~ Achilles

"Burn it!" cried Laocoon, the priest of Poseidon. "I do not know what it is, but I have learned to fear gifts when they come from Greeks. Who knows, there may be men within!" He lifted his spear and hurled it with all his force at the creature's side. The weapon stuck quivering in the stout planks, while from within there echoed a hollow clang. "Hear the sound of armed men! " cried the priest.

A clever re-imagining of the Trojan War. Masterful storytelling of the Greek legends from Odyessus and Achilles to the great Trojans, Paris and Hector. A massive fan of all Greek mythology, I found this book to be engaging, tangible and good for young readers!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great in some ways but it falls apart in other ways. First, the characters are absolutely amazing in their description for instance, it gives the back story of Achilles and how he was dipped into the River Styx. While it does give a detailed explanations, the book is not 100 percent accurate. In the original versions, the Trojan war lasted for 24 years, but in this book, there is only 10 years of war. This book shows how painful war is through death of loved ones, homesickness, destruction, and revenge. My favorite character was Odysseus for many reasons. First, because he actually lives throughout the battle, and second, he is extremely cunning and strong. He is the one who sent the Trojan horse into the city. He is the one who fought 10 years after the war to sail all the way home. While this book is not amazing, it is still a great book for beginners in the Greek mythology realm.

[Richard Seltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for the second time, outloud to my kids. I read it for the first time when I was in the sixth grade and it led to a lifetime interest in ancient history and Greek myth/legends.

[William Jarboe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this modern retelling. As everyone knows the hardest part about things like Greek Mythology, Shakespeare, and even the Bible is the translations and their readability. It’s a fine like between keeping the stories intact linguistically but also entertaining. This book does that with the Trojan war.

I have to say my favorite part was how Aeneas was used, it’s like he’s some kind of MCU character about to get his own spin-off show.

[Shree · Rating 5 out of 5]

My childhood self would have wanted to rate it 5 stars. So, there. I don't know it was appropriate for my 6th grade self but it was the first book that I read.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read/listened to Molly read aloud. Last time through this telling of the Trojan War. 😉

[Oamiya Haque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty well condensed! There were a few grammatical/syntaxical phrases that I thought were weird but I just fixed them on my copy. Very excited to read this as a bedtime story when I have kids one day.

(Only objection is to the intense portrayal of Achilles and Patroclus as friends. Lol.)

[Kiersten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I know more about the unfolding of the Trojan war, according to the gossip over the centuries. There were interesting chapters here and there, but mostly there is a lot of smoting and hacking, threats, challenges: boy stuff. Boys will definitely enjoy this book more than I did. There were parts that were absolutely confusing, though. Chapters begin without orienting you to where you are and whose perspective you're seeing. Write all the characters down as you meet them and make sure you note which side of the page they are on--Trojan or Greek.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the 50s, this book uses older and formal language. Maybe a tough sell to the younger crowd (under 10) of today. But its wonderful because it includes the before and the after and the inbetween---all the parts that we love about the classic story. Haven't found anything that covered the stories like this

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trojan war is a historical genre book that recorded the wage against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The book is written by Olivia E. Coolidge and she made the version of classic tale into a more Fall of Troy accessible to generations of young readers. In my opinion, the book has successfully delivered the story of Trojan War but it falls apart at some place. It vividly describes the battles fought and makes you feel like your actually a solider in battle, this realistic fiction shows the minds and lives of many different characters and many different perspectives of the people fighting on both sides the suspense becomes greater the and honestly will make give you goosebumps. The storyline is pretty difficult to follow because it requires greek mythology knowledge and greek gods. The characters, Achilles annoyed me. I found him selfish weeping for his cousin when he had probably killed hundreds of cousins. He also didn't fight for half the war I would recommend this book to people who are mythologers and people that are interested in mythology in a low english level.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is a middle grades book but I read it to prep for my goal to read the Iliad and the odyssey this summer. I think I would have struggled through this in middle school because the cast is so wide, but I pictured each chapter like a marvel movie and it helped a lot, since each chapter is its own story building up to a really big picture of a war.

Anyway, the stories are crazy and before I knew it I was sucked in. The glossary of names was really helpful, as unsuspecting characters reappear throughout the story! My favorites are Oenone, Andromache, and Odysseus. And Achilles' one-liners are crazy. The ancient Greeks really know how to make characters get their comeuppance. Can't wait to read the Iliad and really see how the stories play out in a less kid-friendly way!

"If you cannot bleed, you shall choke to death!"

"There are no covenants between sheep and wolves, nor between you and me."

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly lucid version of the war.

I cannot say that this was my introduction to the war as I have had decades of different interpretations and writings. However, unlike attempts to water down or paraphrase the story, this one sticks close to the real thing yet makes it more affable. The reader will not have to unlearn this book to enjoy the Iliad.

This will turn out to be one of those stories that you cannot stop reading until the end. And even if it is a happy-ever-after the story you will want more.

Because it reads fast there is a list of characters and places to fill you in on the story that assumes culturally already known.

This is by no means a substitute for the real thing. However, it can stand alone as an interesting story.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice, more mature and more detailed children’s version of the Iliad. My 11 yo has read Colum’s The Children’s Homer, Osborne’s Tales from the Odyssey, and various other retellings, but this version had many details that he had not heard before. Notably, he had not realized that Helen was married when she was stolen away, which this book states from the get go. An important detail of the story though and this was a good age for us to read it (6th grade). A less sanitized version, but still very appropriate for children.

[Cathryn Johansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This combines the story of the Iliad with the story of the Trojan War. It’s a big job for a book with 250 pages and at times I felt like many names could have been left out for the sake of readability and tracking the story. (OR a more detailed list of characters would have been helpful.) The themes are heavy in this book (obviously) and human sacrifice and murder of children is mentioned more than once on top of many, many gruesome deaths (described in detail). Still, this is a good introduction to Greek mythology for a middle schooler.

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in the eighth grade. I already knew about the Trojan War, but this book went into much deeper detail than anything I had previously read. It gave more insight into the motivations of various characters, and I learned about figures such as Ajax whom I had previously been unfamiliar with. I was particularly moved by the story of Hector and Andromache. It also features vivid illustrations, some of which I still remember today.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great piece of writing. Olivia Coolidge is a great author who perceptively describes this fascinating war. The Trojan War includes great information that informs any reader about the characters and what happened in this war. I learned a ton about Greek mythology and all of these heroes that are developed greatly in this book. You don’t need very much prior knowledge about Greek gods. This book is organized with character lists that explain who the characters are. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to read a medium sized, information full, and captivating novel.

[Disco Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book at a used bookstore and was attracted by the author's promise to tie together all the disparate stories of the Trojan War into a cohesive, chronological narrative. In Greek and Roman mythology the stories interlock, but I have great difficulty remembering who did what to whom.

Written in 1952, the book features classic storytelling language. This would be a great read-aloud book, provided that your audience could withstand all the blood and guts.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thorough children’s overview of Homer’s epic Iliad and the end of The Odyssey. A fine refresher for introducing the real deal, but I wonder if today’s young readers would do better with twenty-four shorter books, that allow them to get to know the different characters, backgrounds, and stories separately. My sixth grade students have had trouble keeping up with the number of characters in such a short book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great character development in this interesting retelling of the Trojan War. It is simple enough for middle school age students to understand, but still full of action with a lot of basic Greek mythology. I loved the character lists (both in the front and back), and I referred to them often...there are a LOT of characters! ;D

[L Peacock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book just not caring because it was for school, but I started to really enjoy it half way through. my next book is the odyssey and I’m very excited now. The beginning felt like a drag but that’s just because I didn’t care. There’s a lot A LOT of characters so be ready for that! Over all great book.

[Gloria Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but I think there should be more gods. Where have Hera and Athena gone? Why aren’t they doing anything? I wish this could include the Theomachy. I really love that part. I read the one by Alfred J. church and I don’t know which is better. Probably this one. I like the pictures, though, especially the one that Iphigenia was being sacrificed.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great retelling of the Trojan War. I read this book with my daughter for her 7th grade literature class. While it was hard to keep all the names straight of all of the characters, I found this retelling to be a really good one to introduce the story of the Trojan War.

[Brianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easily accessible retelling of the traditional Greek myth of the Trojan war. Wish they had provided a pronunciation guide for some of those names though - whew! Reading aloud got a little tedious at times and there was much tongue twisting occurring.

[Aden .V · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a school book but i totally fell in love with it! The book is great at telling past events and making them come alive. Troy and Greece are so different to me now! I love the stories the characters and everything about t! Must READ

[Rik]

A great book for somebody who wishes to learn about the tale of Trojan War from scratch. I loved the book, and would definitely love to read more on the same, drawing from the interest, this book helped me develop...

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

T'was a pretty good book. I didn't hate it. I don't think it made it into my favorite books though. -_- It was very informative, and it had some fun details. Personally I probably won't read it again, but I found it kinda interesting.

[Jacob Plagerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved that fact that this combined aspects of the Iliad and the Odyssey to make a combined narrative. Obviously it jumps around and can be hard to track what is happening, but I am a sucker for Greek mythology and mentally escape to the sands and plains of Troy easily.