Odysseus Books

A man becomes a hero…As a young boy in Ithaca, Odysseus listens in wonder to his grandfather Autolykos, a man feared by many across the land as a ruthless fighter. He learns of his heritage and a lifelong passion is sparked: to become an adventurer and warrior. In Mycenae, he meets King Eurystheus and learns the terrible story of Hercules - the man with god-like strength who slaughtered his family and punished by the King to undertake impossible tasks to earn absolution. But is Eurystheus the man he says he is? When a child comes to Odysseus in the middle of the night, with another, very disturbing, version of what happened that fateful night, Odysseus embarks on the first of his extraordinary quests...So begins the epic story of Odysseus, the first of two volumes: an adventure of love, war, courage and heroism, weaving from a small rocky island in Greece, to the mighty fall of Troy.

Odysseus returns in this second installment of the classic hero’s extraordinary story, masterfully brought to life by bestselling author Valerio Massimo Manfredi. After ten years of uninterrupted war, blood, and agony, the Trojans have finally been defeated, leaving Odysseus and his men to begin the long journey back to Ithaca. He’s determined to make it home, since it’s been years since he set out for Troy and his beloved family has been awaiting his return since the day he left. Little does he know, though, that he’ll encounter terrifying enemies along the way: creatures like the cyclops Polyphemus, or the lotus eaters who feast on narcotic flowers that provide only oblivion, the sorceress who turns men into swine, and the enthralling but deadly sirens all lie in wait. In this stunning new novel, Valerio Massimo Manfredi gives a new voice to one of the most adventurous and fascinating heroes of all time, showing readers in vivid detail the lengths to which Odysseus will go to return home.