Adrienne Mayor

The Greeks and Romans were well aware that a different breed of creatures once inhabited their lands. They frequently encountered fossilized bones of long-extinct species, and they developed sophisticated concepts to explain them, expressed in mythological stories....

From acclaimed folklorist and historian Adrienne Mayor, an enchanting collection of the ancient myths that emerged out of the wonders—and disasters—of the natural world.

Flamethrowers, poison gases, incendiary bombs, the large-scale spreading of disease...are these terrifying agents and implements of warfare modern inventions? Not by a long shot....

A National Book Award finalist for this epic work, Adrienne Mayor delivers a gripping account of Mithradates, the ruthless visionary who began to challenge Rome’s power in 120 B.C. Machiavelli praised his military genius....

The fascinating untold story of how the ancients imagined robots and other forms of artificial life - and even invented real automated machines, Gods and Robots is a groundbreaking account of the earliest expressions of the timeless impulse to create artificial life....

Driven by a detective's curiosity, Mayor unearths long-buried evidence and sifts fact from fiction to show how flesh-and-blood women of the Eurasian steppes were mythologized as Amazons, the equals of men....

Showcasing Adrienne 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....

Here is the story of one insightful, curious, and determined woman who solved the mystery of the griffin and invented a new science....