BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY is THE classic introduction to ancient and medieval myths. In three volume's, Thomas Bulfinch recounted and referenced classical stories of Graeco-Roman gods and heroes, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Norse and Hindu mythology, the Arthurian legends, Robin Hood, the Mabinogeon, and the tales of Chalemagne and his paladins. All three volumes are combined here in a single book. Besides making great reading on their own, these tales, and the values and ideals that they illustrate, are at the very heart of western literature and culture. Shakespeare, Milton, and most of the other icons of English literature drew on them repeatedly. The modern fantasy genre has its origins in this material. Tolkien was inspired by it. They are "must" reading for anyone who aspires to be considered "educated".

There are just a couple of negatives here. The particular edition I have has a lot of typographical errors in it. There were such things as a sentence beginning "She..." when clearly it should have begun "The...", for example. Further, one can find fuller retellings of specific stories in other places. These are minor points, however. Bulfinch is still the classic introduction and source for mythological tales. Plus, as I said, it's great fun. Most people can profit from Bulfinch. Fantasy fans should especially love it.

This book is an excellent mythology reader. The first section is devoted to the stories of gods and heroes. The majority of the stories is from Greco-Roman mythology and includes such classics as Apollo and Daphne, Pygmalion, The Golden Fleece, Midas, The Sibyl, and much more. This part also devotes four chapters to Eastern Mythology (Hindu myths, Zoroastor, etc.), Norse mythology (Thor, etc.) and The Druids of Iona. Part two is made up of the popular Arthurian legends and contains many of the most famous stories such as Tristam and Isoude, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the Death of Arthur. Much of this section is rendered in verse. This part also has the Mambinogeon and other myths of the British race (e.g. Beowulf and Robin Hood). The final section (my personal favorite) includes the legends of Charlemagne, or more specifically those of his paladins. This is where one can find stories of Orlando, Rinaldo, and Ogier the Dane. These stories are not as famous as the Arthurian legends, but are just as exciting. There is a very helpful dictionary of names and terms and a few maps and illustrations. Also, the English is fairly easy to read and shouldn't be difficult for the average person. This book is not complete; many of the stories are obviously abridged. It would be nice if it included annotations or a bibliography for those wanting to read more in depth. However, the introduction includes a very basic history of the stories, which should help the more enterprising reader find the unabridged editions. Still, Bulfinch's Mythology is one of the best and least expensive ways become acquainted with these classic stories. I highly recommend it!

This book is a most buy . This book was used by Ensemble Studios from Microsoft to create the game Age of Mythology (AOM). What else can I say? if any of you are fan of the Age of Empires series then you'll know what I'm talking about. :)

Words from the wise says a lot and is right said when you go through Ed's marvelous book - a great choice to pick alongwith Oxford's Dictionary of Quotations & Oxford's companion to English Literature. Oxford books are a class apart but you can't resist a pick on this one from Ed Fuller because the selection of the wise cracks, witty remarks & epigrams is just fantastic and certainly, full of humor that brings smile on a face. It's like holding a 'Master-card' of wits for quick and easy access to wisdom grounds. A wide range of subjects and cross-references, supercharge conversation, speeches, writings, any time-any place-anywhere! The epigram usage is marvelous and used to fit your purpose with an example of Robert Ingersoll who took the old saying 'An honest man is the noblest work of god' and brought it forth as 'An honest God is the noblest work of man'
The Index of Epigram subjects is wide to choose from and these are thoughtful and thought provoking. A good book to reflect ideas and must for every home, office, library.

Edmund Fuller does an excellent job explaining the life of John Milton. John Milton is a famous author that lived in England during his life span from 1608 to 1674. Milton led a very interesting life ranging from his suspensions from Cambridge to his role in the English Civil War. John Milton is most known for his book, "Paradise Lost." This book explains the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
Edmund Fuller does an excellent job in portraying the thoughts of John Milton. The reader understands the excitement and anticipation as Milton waits in the lobby to see Galileo Galilei. The reader also experiences sadness when Milton can not win the heart of a singer from Italy.
The only complaint I have about this book is that Fuller does not tell often enough when an event happens in Milton's life. This leaves the reader often to guess the year in which an event happened. Other than that, Edmund Fuller does an excellent job explaining the life of John Milton.

I purchased this book because as a fan of both Lewis and Tolkien, I had hoped to gain better insight into the meaning behind their writings. I would say that my search for insight has only been slightly satisfied.

Myth Allegory and Gospel is a collection of six essays written by authors who describe themselves as "fans and scholars" of the works by Chesterton, Lewis, Tolkien and Williams. The essays are:

-Apologist of Eucatastrophe by John Warwick Montgomery
-Chesterton, Madmen and Madhouses by Russell Kirk
-Charles Williams' Novels and the Contemporary Mutation of Consciousness by Chad Walsh
-After the Moon Landings: A Further Report on the Christian Spaceman C.S. Lewis by Edmund Fuller
-The Chronicles of Narnia and the Adolescent Reader by John Warwick Montgomery
-Mythic and Christian Elements in Tolkien by Clyde S Kilby

Most of the essays speak of the Christian meaning of the books as if the reader already knows what the particulars are, so examples of the Christian meaning are rarely given. Furthermore, the writing style of some of the essays are similar to a research paper that I wrote in the eighth grade. Numerous sources are called upon in a disjoined manner in an essay that is difficult to follow. The exception is the essay by Kilby in regard to Tolkien's works and the essay by Mongomery in regard to Lewis. However, only the Kilby essay actually cites the Lord of the Rings to give examples of the Biblical connections that the other essays just assume that the reader already knows.

If you are looking for a collection of essays about the works of these authors, then this may be the book for you. But, if you are looking for more insight into these books, I would suggest that perhaps another book would be a better choice for you.