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A Thousand Ships

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What to expect

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction

Powerfully read by the author, Natalie Haynes. From a powerful all-female perspective, in A Thousand Ships, classicist and author of Divine Might, Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War – putting the women, girls and goddesses at the centre of the story.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles and Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls.

This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .

In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.

From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women embroiled in the legendary war.

'With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War' – Madeline Miller, author of Circe

'A many-layered delight' – The Guardian

'A gripping feminist masterpiece' – Deborah Frances-White, The Guilty Feminist

Critics Review

With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War. Her thoughtful portraits will linger with you long after the book is finished
Madeline Miller, author of Circe
Natalie Haynes is swiftly becoming this generation’s Mary Renault; her retelling of the Trojan war from an all-female perspective, A Thousand Ships, is her best yet.
Observer
Haynes is master of her trade . . . She succeeds in breathing warm life into some of our oldest stories
Telegraph
Absorbing and fiercely feminist
Guardian
The forgotten women are vividly brought to life in this moving, intelligent and witty book
Martha Kearney, BBC Radio 4
Elegant, intelligent . . . Haynes combines a wide-ranging knowledge of the original myths with a gift for compelling narrative
The Times
A joy to read: fast paced, cracking with emotion and tension
Professor Michael Scott
Here, in this treat of a book, the women take centre stage - and how brilliantly . . . Natalie Haynes brings them to witty, lyrical, scintillating life . . . A book to both savour and devour
Suzannah Lipscomb
Breathtaking . . . Her writing isn’t merely clever, or elegant, or (at times) extremely funny - though it is all of those things. It’s also viscerally vivid.
Catherine Nixey
This subversive reseeing of the classics is a many-layered delight
Guardian
Haynes takes the baton from Renault and runs with it. Her modern take on antiquity is exquisitely informed without ever being research-heavy . . . Glorious!
Damien Barr
If you are new to myths, then this is a learned, well-fashioned introduction, with many shining moments of subtle power
Spectator
Haynes expertly crafts an emotional and vivid historical tale with high stakes and female empowerment at its core
Woman's Own
Haynes is the nation’s great muse, and her latest retelling of the story of Troy told from the perspective of Helen and the women of The Iliad is beautiful
The Week
Natalie Haynes is a clever, classy classicist, and her book turns the Trojan War into a gripping feminist masterpiece
Deborah Frances-White
A collection of wonderfully creative feminist stories, written and narrated by classicist Natalie Haynes. . . She. . . imbues these underrepresented female characters with humanity, wit, and strength. She has a good range, too. Some stories--especially those of the Trojan women--are emotionally wrenching. Others, like Penelope's increasingly frustrated letters to Odysseus, have a distinct comedic touch.
AudioFile

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author Natalie Haynes
Narrator Natalie Haynes
Duration 8 hours and 34 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781509888856
Format Audiobook
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Genre Historical fiction, Myths and Legends
Availability GB, IE
Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Narration
5.0 (1 review)

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