Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws

And Other Classical Myths, Historical Oddities, and Scientific Curiosities

Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws
Adrienne Mayor
RRP:
NZ$ 39.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 32.79
Paperback
h203 x 133mm - 448pg
26 Jul 2022 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9780691211183
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
A treasury of astonishing mythic marvels-and the surprising truths behind them Adrienne Mayor is renowned for exploring the borders of history, science, archaeology, anthropology, and popular knowledge to find historical realities and scientific insights-glimmering, long-buried nuggets of truth-embedded in myth, legends, and folklore. Combing through ancient texts and obscure sources, she has spent decades prospecting for intriguing wonders and marvels, historical mysteries, diverting anecdotes, and hidden gems from ancient, medieval, and modern times. Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a treasury of fifty of her most amazing and amusing discoveries. The book explores such subjects as how mirages inspired legends of cities in the sky; the true identity of winged serpents in ancient Egypt; how ghost ships led to the discovery of the Gulf Stream; and the beauty secrets of ancient Amazons. Other pieces examine Arthur Conan Doyle' s sea serpent and Geronimo' s dragon; Flaubert' s obsession with ancient Carthage; ancient tattooing practices; and the strange relationship between wine goblets and women' s breasts since the times of Helen of Troy and Marie Antoinette. And there' s much, much more. Showcasing Mayor' s trademark passion not to demythologize myths, but to uncover the fascinating truths buried beneath them, Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a wonder cabinet of delightful curiosities.
"Covering much more than just myths and monsters, this book also contains information about ancient science and mirages, and everything from tourism to tattoos. . . . This book has a little something for everyone. " * Library Journal *
Adrienne Mayor' s books include The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome' s Deadliest Enemy, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology, and The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World (all Princeton). She is a research scholar in classics and the history of science at Stanford University.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780691211183
Published: 26 Jul 2022
Published In: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Paperback
Height: 203mm
Width: 133mm
Pages: 448

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