Nature and Culture in the Iliad: The Tragedy of Hector

Hands down, one of the best books on the Homeric hero and The Iliad currently available. The expanded edition is a much appreciated update to a classic work of literary criticism. Clearly written!

I found much to disagree about when I read this book, but the conflict it posed was part of what made it such a great read (its often boring to read an author you completely agree with). Of all the commentaries on the Iliad I've seen, this is the one that gets the central point right. Most people focus their critic of the Iliad by assuming it is the story of Achilles. In fact, it isn't, there is another, perhaps more powerful, story lurking; in the finest tradition of Shakespearean drama the Iliad is fundamentally the tragedy of Hector. It is this duality which makes the Iliad one of the great books in human history and nature and culture is one of the few books that, in addition to providing some informative background on homeric culture, stresses this point.