HOMER'S ILIAD: A NEW TRANSLATION

I'm happy to announce that we are publicizing Herbert Jordan’s new translation of HOMER’S ILIAD (University of Oklahoma Press; September 2008; hardcover), which promises to do what Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf did for that classic saga.

Intended for American audiences, this blank verse, line-for line translation skillfully steers a course between excessive literalism and mere contemporary colloquialism. Jordan makes the ILIAD more accessible to audiences than ever before while still conveying its austere beauty.

E. Christian Kopff of the University of Colorado and author of The Devil Knows Latin: Why America Needs the Classical Tradition says, “Herbert Jordan conveys the action and movement of the Iliad in contemporary language and a supple verse that is loyal to the traditions of English poetry. Teachers, students and lovers of great literature will find this highly readable translation one of the most accessible translations of the Iliad ever done.”

Award-winning writer and critic Luc Sante calls it “a remarkably fresh and clear translation…at once true to its ancient original and inviting to readers today.”

Faithful to the text yet not sacrificing the spirit of the poem, Jordan’s ILIAD captures the force and vigor of the original poem. The result is, says Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Henry Taylor, “a splendid achievement."

Homer's Iliad is a pivotal work in the history of Western culture. If you've never had the chance to read it or want to read it again, you'll find Herbert Jordan's HOMER'S ILIAD an excellent translation.