Surely the best available English translation of Homer's vast hymn to war and those who wage it. Fagles, an American scholar and poet, provides a free yet richly rhythmical version which carries the reader headlong through the majesty and cruelty of the story of the Greeks' long siege of Troy. Fagles's verse is never less than readable, and frequently rises to thrilling poetic heights. Bernard Knox contributes notes and an extensive, illuminating introduction. Incidentally, or not so incidentally, this American edition is both handsome and sturdy, and very good value even at a price that may seem high for a paperback.
John Banville