Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Edith Hamilton

When I asked for a quick and dirty overview of the major Greek and Roman myths, everyone recommending this. I’m glad they did. When I started Mythology I was already half way through Hamilton’s the Greek Way, which is pretty bad, and I did not have high expectations for this one.

I was genuinely surprised with how good this was. All of the major (and minor) myths are explained here, clearly and logically with helpful introductions describing the major sources for the stories. You’ve got the interplay between the gods, the Trojan war, and the myths of the legendary houses and heroes of Ancient Greece. Its one stop shopping for classical stories.

It isn’t a scholarly work. It’s for the lay reader. But it’s exactly what you need if, say, you’re about to embark on a deep dive Homer and want to make sure you remember the lay of the land.

Recommended.