Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws

""Mayor’s cabinet of curiosities conveys admirably her sense of the wonder, complexity, and engrossing strangeness of the ancient Greco-Roman world, as well as the richness and diversity of the many ages that followed.""---James Romm, Wall Street Journal ""Mayor’s mesmerizing dive into a rich treasury of myths and ancient folklore — and the possible scientific and historical truths behind them — is sure to engross any reader (or aspiring writer) of historical fantasy.""---Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times ""Covering much more than just myths and monsters, this book also contains information about ancient science and mirages, and everything from tourism to tattoos. . . . This book has a little something for everyone."" * Library Journal * ""This is an eminently informative book, for readers of all ages. . . . Mayor is able to give a sense of wonder to her inquiries and, without losing rigor, she brings it back to the academic world. In this sense, the book more than fulfils its objectives: we have found pleasure in reading it."" * Bryn Mawr Classical Review * ""An interesting gallimaufry of 50 short essays that seek to extract nuggets of truth from mythology, legends, and folklore."" * Choice Reviews * ""A good bedstand book, for dipping into at will for a bite-sized diversion.""---Janet Brennan Croft, Mythlore ""In this hugely entertaining new anthology of historical curiosities we reap the benefits of Mayor’s willingness to burrow into the dusty corners of history and to pick up on myths and stories other historians tend to slide past without stopping.""---Terry Potter, Letterpress Project ""This delightful collection of 50 mini-essays by Stanford University research scholar Adrienne Mayor answers some of the most fascinating questions readers wouldn’t otherwise have thought to ask themselves about classical folklore and the history of science. . . . Mayor’s inquisitive spirit animates the answers she provides."" * Christian Century * ""Mayor has a vast store of knowledge and is a masterful storyteller. Her latest work is a delightful feast for curious minds.""---Diana Bentley, Minerva Magazine ""Informative and vastly entertaining.""---Anita Guerrini, History Today ""A delightful compendium that will provoke fresh scholarship and draw new readers to the study of folklore, myth, and culture.""---Timothy J. Burbery, Folklore