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A Thousand Ships

Paperback

Synopsis

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction

From a powerful all-female perspective, in A Thousand Ships, classicist and author of Divine Might, Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War – putting the women, girls and goddesses at the centre of the story.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles and Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls.


This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .

In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.

From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women embroiled in the legendary war.

'With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War' – Madeline Miller, author of Circe

'A many-layered delight' – The Guardian


'A gripping feminist masterpiece' – Deborah Frances-White, The Guilty Feminist

Details

23 July 2020
368 pages
9781509836215
Imprint: Picador

Reviews

With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War. Her thoughtful portraits will linger with you long after the book is finishedMadeline Miller, author of Circe
A gripping feminist masterpieceDeborah Frances-White, The Guilty Feminist
The forgotten women are vividly brought to life in this moving, intelligent and witty bookMartha Kearney, BBC Radio 4
A joy to read: fast paced, cracking with emotion and tensionProfessor Michael Scott, classical scholar and author of Ancient Worlds: An Epic History of East and West