The Mighty Dead: Why Homer Matters Hardcover – 22 May 2014

This book sets out to argue that Homer matters today. It is absolutely awful.Nicholson claims to discover Homer while sailing his yacht in the Atlantic. This, he tells us, gave him a direct connection to the poet. The sea and all that.In fairness, we often attach special meaning to poems or songs or paintings that we encounter at a particular time in our lives. Most of us find revelations in rather humbler settings, of course. Furthermore, I applaud the desire to connect with Homer, to make the poetry contemporary and relevant. But not like this.The Odyssey is great - I really like it. There are fascinating stories, great telling of them, memorable images and phrases. Nicolson wants to go further. He insists that his personal connection reveals the true meaning or even the truth of Homer for all of us. This is flawed on two counts. Firstly, it involves ignoring everything that we know about the heroic epics – when how and where they were created, written and recorded. In place of this scholarship, he offers his own version of the history and his spiritual vision. Secondly, the vision is exactly what would appeal to an affluent English aesthete. I suppose even AEAs are entitled to their likes and dislikes, but I resent their prescribing them to the rest of humanity [as they have long done]. There is less argument here than purple prose, often hard to understand, and gushing enthusiasm.As an example, Nicolson raises an epithet frequent in the Odyssey, the “unharvesteable sea”, which contrasts the hazards of travelling at sea with the settled life of a farmer. Yes, a good phrase, though awkward in the translation, but that is not enough for Nicholson, for whom it is “a form of concentrated wisdom about the condition of life on earth”. This is absolute nonsense. It is the sort of nonsense that appeals to a wealthy man on his private yacht, relishing the challenge of the wind and the waves – or something.It is what is missing from this book that disappoints. If you want to connect Homer with the present day, seek the views of trawlermen on the North Sea or the crews of giant cargo vessels in the Gulf or the captains of Aegean ferries. If you really want to connect Homer to the modern world, look at the thousands who die every year in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean making exactly the same journey Odysseus made to Greece, and for pretty much the same reason – to find a home and security.Nicolson claims his teacher put him off Homer. He went to Eton – this book shows the mark of a privileged education and not in a good way.Just read Homer.

This is an important book which reconnects our 21st century selves with the deepest layers of the human psyche, with its split between violence and the glorification of conflict, and the desire for civilised living and social control, between self-serving passions and desires and the need for empathy. It reveals the ancient origins of the epics and the wide ranging connections between ancient cultures across Europe and Asia, and demonstrates why, with their horror and beauty, the epics are still worthy of being read. The book is itself a work of great love and poetic expression. A joy to read.

This is really unusual book - beautifully written and combining reflections of the Odyssey and the Illiad, with travel writing and personal recollections. I was particularly interested by the flip in focus about 2/3 of the way through, when the author began to look at the antics of Odysseus and the invaders of Troy from the eyes of the invaded - and all of the 'glamour' falls away to be replaced by a clear vision of thuggery, appalling treatment of women and rampaging blood lust dressed up as honour.This was a very enjoyable and frequently thought provoking read

I like anything about Homer. I disliked the pretentiousness, the egocentricity and the over-blown prose. This book is what might have been called " a conceit" in earlier times.

There is a lot of book - over 10 hours of listening, so full marks to the reader for faultless delivery throughout. Perhaps not the best way to digest this extraordinary book as you don't get the benefit of the pictures and text illustrations, and you can't flick to and fro easily to cross reference. But as an addition to the physical book it's a winner and a useful adjunct if you were studying Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.

Gave it to a latin student as a present

A delight , part history , part travelogue ,part retelling of Homer and part inspired speculation . In addition there is some brutal and brave honesty with a shocking personal revelation a third of the way through .

First book I've read by Adam Nicolson and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will be seeking out further works by this author.