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.
"Mayor’s cabinet of curiosities conveys admirably her sense of the
wonder, complexity, and engrossing strangeness of the ancient
Greco-Roman world, as well as the richness and diversity of the
many ages that followed."---James Romm, Wall Street Journal
"Mayor’s mesmerizing dive into a rich treasury of myths and ancient
folklore — and the possible scientific and historical truths behind
them — is sure to engross any reader (or aspiring writer) of
historical fantasy."---Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times
"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*
"This is an eminently informative book, for readers of all ages. .
. . Mayor is able to give a sense of wonder to her inquiries and,
without losing rigor, she brings it back to the academic world. In
this sense, the book more than fulfils its objectives: we have
found pleasure in reading it."
*Bryn Mawr Classical Review*
"An interesting gallimaufry of 50 short essays that seek to extract
nuggets of truth from mythology, legends, and folklore."
*Choice Reviews*
"A good bedstand book, for dipping into at will for a bite-sized
diversion."---Janet Brennan Croft, Mythlore
"In this hugely entertaining new anthology of historical
curiosities we reap the benefits of Mayor’s willingness to burrow
into the dusty corners of history and to pick up on myths and
stories other historians tend to slide past without
stopping."---Terry Potter, Letterpress Project
"This delightful collection of 50 mini-essays by Stanford
University research scholar Adrienne Mayor answers some of the most
fascinating questions readers wouldn’t otherwise have thought to
ask themselves about classical folklore and the history of science.
. . . Mayor’s inquisitive spirit animates the answers she
provides."
*Christian Century*
"Mayor has a vast store of knowledge and is a masterful
storyteller. Her latest work is a delightful feast for curious
minds."---Diana Bentley, Minerva Magazine
"Informative and vastly entertaining."---Anita Guerrini, History
Today
"A delightful compendium that will provoke fresh scholarship and
draw new readers to the study of folklore, myth, and
culture."---Timothy J. Burbery, Folklore
"An incredibly enjoyable read for any audience, as readers cannot
help but share in [Mayor’s] deep curiosity and passion."---Rebecca
Willis, Journal of American Folklore
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