published by John Murray of London
and reprinted in 2018
by Florence and Kenneth Wood
In the Iliad, Homer creates a huge catalogue of stars and constellations in his graphic
and memorable portrayal of a brutal war between Greeks and Trojans.
Geography and ’star maps’ of the lands of the pre-literate Greek city-states
are also on Homer’s agenda in his epic of the night skies.
Reviews
It is a superb piece of detective work … the argument is arresting. Truth has its own kind of elegance and these … authors have stumbled upon a truth that is breathtaking: The Scotsman.
It will be difficult to look at the night sky, or Homer, in the same way again: Financial Times.
A new and remarkable reading that seems to throw the Iliad in a completely new light: BBC World Service.
In this vast celestial board game of a book, the Woods interpret Homer’s blood-stained account of the Trojan war as one huge didactic mnemonic device that enabled his audience to fix the constellations precisely in their minds. As we read, our scepticism …. is increasingly undermined by flashes of open-mindedness: The Good Book Guide.
… The Woods’ reading of the [Iliad] is highly exciting: The Times
In The Guardian in 2003, the poet Alice Oswald included Homer’s Secret Iliad in her books of the year.
El Enigma de la Iliada: In 2008 Homer’s Secret Iliad was translated and published in Spain. In a prologue, the author Javier Sierra wrote: 'I have the impression that we are faced with one of those rare Eureka [moments] that occur in the study of the classical world'.
Homer’s Secret Iliad is currently being prepared for reprinting but copies of the first edition can be found on Amazon, AbeBooks and at other booksellers.
Page Links
Home Adventures in the Heavens Goat Island and the Lunar Year
Cycles of the sun, moon and Venus Circe and Magical Moly Moly revealed
See also Homer the Astronomer-1 and Homer the Astronomer-2 on YouTube
Leave a comment on our blog: kfswood.com