Homer and His Iliad

By: Robin Lane Fox

Narrated by: Steve John Shepherd

A groundbreaking reassessment of the Iliad, uncovering how the poem was written and why it remains enduringly powerful

The Iliad is the world’s greatest epic poem—heroic battle and divine fate set against the Trojan War. Its beauty and profound bleakness are intensely moving, but great questions remain: Where, how, and when was it composed and why does it endure?

Robin Lane Fox addresses these questions, drawing on a lifelong love and engagement with the poem. He argues for a place, a date, and a method for its composition—subjects of ongoing controversy—combining the detailed expertise of a historian with a poetic reader’s sensitivity. Lane Fox considers hallmarks of the poem; its values, implicit and explicit; its characters; its women; its gods; and even its horses.

Thousands of readers turn to the Iliad every year. Drawing on fifty years of reading and research, Lane Fox offers us a breathtaking tour of this magnificent text, revealing why the poem has endured for ages.

Critic reviews

“Lane Fox is an Oxford don, and his book the result of a lifetime’s dedication to the Iliad — personally and professionally. As such it is rigorously academic, but also winningly idiosyncratic…. This is a compelling and impressive work.”—Times (UK)

“This is a compelling and impressive work.”—Sunday Times (UK)

“A bold reassessment of how [the Iliad] came to life.” —The Spectator (UK)

“Excellent … This book is the expression of [Fox’s] lifelong love for the poem.”—Country Life

“An engaging, scholarly commentary.”—The Oldie

“A lucid, scholarly exploration into an immortal work.”—Kirkus

“Homer and His Iliad is rich, imaginative, perceptive and gorgeously written.”—Literary Review

Magnificent!!! How do I give it more stars?

Wow—this book is absolutely fantastic. I was enthralled from start to finish by the enthusiasm Robin Lane Fox brings to Homer and the Iliad. His passion is unmistakable, and he communicates it with such energy that it feels like he is rhapsodizing about one of the great treasures of human history.

I’ve read the Iliad a dozen times myself, though I make no claim to be an Oxford don or a Homeric scholar. Even so, Fox’s insights and fervor deepened my own appreciation immeasurably. His book is both illuminating and enlivening—a work that doesn’t just inform, but inspires.

And a word for the narrator: he was outstanding. His voice carried the text with power and elegance—I truly hope someone gives him a raise. Listening to him made the experience all the more enjoyable.

This is without a doubt the most exciting and fulfilling engagement I’ve ever had with the Iliad.

Brilliant exploration of a foundational text

I don't have a whole lot to say, but this book does a great job deepening your appreciation for The Illiad. The author has studied it so extensively and clearly has such a love for it that you can't help but get caught up in it. I'm going to have to give the original text another read or listen because I feel like I'll enjoy it far more now.

Masterful!

A comprehensive, beautiful, and sensitive portrayal of the poem, the poet and their times, and how they relate to our own.

Outstanding explication of text

The narrator’s voice draws you in. This is one of the best deconstructions of The Iliad ever.

Great narrator

Very well done! Robin Lane Fox is an excellent historian! I Enjoyed this very much!